Saihossoku-Fresh Start
by Yui-Mag and Cathan White
Summary: The little flower shop is lost--what will the Weiss Kreuz guys do now?
1. If There Were No More Flowers

Since we're crazy and obsessed with Weiss and music... we just decided it would be fun... as always to torture the characters with our writing. 

After seeing all of the lovely galleries that wonderful people have put up about Weiss we couldn't help noticing those few entertaining pictures with the four Weiss guys acting like pop idols. We know that Weiss Kreuz is actually a really cool band (tee hee! yeah for CD's!) but, we thought it might be a bit entertaining if the Weiss guys in the anime actually ended up in the same situation...

However, because it seems that neither of us can write something entirely amusing (unless you count our insane Universe of the Four Frogs... for those of you who haven't read it, don't ask.) This turned into kind of a dark fic about the tension between Omi and Aya after discovering Omi's heritage (SPOILERS!!!) and after a closeness Omi begins to develop with Aya-chan (more spoilers... the awakeness part, not the um... *ahem* closeness...) 

Now, you'll have to excuse us for our hentai-ness in the beginning as this did originally start out as a completely ridiculous fic (it does get more serious, I promise.)

But now, on with the show and enjoy the ride!

  
  


oops... almost forgot:

disclaimers: None of the wonderful characters of Weiss Kreuz are ours in any way. *pout* And also, the songs that we use throughout the fic aren't ours. Giving credit where its due:

Frail- Jars of Clay, Crash and Burn- Savage Garden, Her Ornament- The Verve Pipe/Great Expectations sndtrk

are the songs we've used so far. Any other lyrics will be accredited to their author before the chapter begins.

Hope you all enjoy!!!

  
  


Yui-Mag and Cathan

  
  
  
  
  
  


Saihossoku

Fresh Start

  
  


Chapter One: If There Were No More Flowers

  
  
  
  


Free time... Actual free time. Ken reveled in the sensation of having nothing to do... nothing to hurry about in the morning. Instead as he waltzed out of the shower and wrapped a towel over his hips, he opened his mouth to start singing a familiar tune.

The radio had been blaring the entire time he had been in the shower. He knew how much it drove the others crazy, but he never worried about it too much. He sang along at the top of his lungs as he made his way around the room gathering up his clothing and tossing it on the unmade bed before stepping over to his dresser and grabbing the hairbrush to drag it through his wet brown hair.

Today was going to be... interesting to say the least. With Manx coming to give them... 'ideas' about what new jobs they could possibly take up ever since their little flower shop had been torn to pieces under the Schwartz's 'helpful' hand.

The dark thought made him frown for a moment, pausing as the music stopped and a commercial took over his station on the radio. It still bothered him. As much as he'd hated working at the flower shop for the most part, some times standing among all the rows of just blooming plants Omi so carefully watered had been comforting.

Now he wasn't sure what they were going to do. He shook his head sending droplets of water across the room and ruining all the careful work the hairbrush had constructed.

The commercial on the radio ended and the oldies announcer came on to inform, as if listeners wouldn't be aware of who or what they were listening to, what station number this was. 

"And now... the Rubettes with another one of their great hits!" Ken blinked wracking his brain to remember the words to the song. He wasn't sure he could remember that one, but as soon as the familiar humming took off on the radio, filling his room, Ken grinned. 'Now this would be fun!' He thought with a mischievous glint in his eyes. 

Shaking the wet hair out of his eyes, Ken grabbed the hairbrush, holding it too his lips as he danced across the room towards his bed.

The first notes of the song faded into the high pitched note of the lead singer...

Which frighteningly enough, Ken tried to imitate. 

The agonized sounding shriek that left his mouth in the form of a song was enough to 1) wake up Yoji who was still in deep slumber under his many silk sheets; 2) Crack Omi's computer screen and freeze the poor boy into non-action, 3) make Aya's perpetual frown waver for a second as his hand around his coffee mug jumped, dumping a rather large amount of hot coffee into the unsuspecting man's lap.  
As the coffee's heat wormed its way through the fabric to strike at the man's pale skin, Aya gave a half grumble- half shriek and rose, ready to fight and kill whatever was making that disturbing noise. 

The noise that had made Yoji jump made him startled enough to have landed half out of bed, slamming his poor already aching (cause of the *ahem* slight hangover plaguing him) head onto the cold floor.

Anger filled the eyes which were protected by their perpetual sunglasses, as he glared over top of them at the ceiling.

"That's it!" The older man growled. He tried to untangle himself before making a charging mount to see what the hell was making Ken practice this caterwauling this early in the morning. 

Omi blinked. And blinked again before his poor heart could rest a bit from the fast pace it had been pounding in his chest. "Ken-kun?" 

He had heard Ken before, and knew that the boy had a very... disturbing... habit of singing very early on their mornings off. A habit he knew that Yoji would likely like to remove his vocal cords with a fork for, however- in spite of the idea's Yoji seemed to be picking up from Farfello- Omi had never heard Ken make quite THAT sound.

Actually, Ken's voice usually left a soothing impression. Usually. He repeated Ken's name softly again before making a run up the stairs to save his friend from what he could only assume was near death. 

He tumbled up the stairs just as Aya came tearing up the stairs after him, violet eyes burning.

As Omi reached the top of the flight of the stairs Yoji had just opened the door before them.

"KEN!" Yoji roared. Or started to... his roar ended in a startled mew as he was left to stare at the skinny brunette who was still only in a towel. The stupid kid that had woken him up was singing! Singing to a hairbrush!!! Singing and naked! Of all things... the surprise turned to anger and he went back to charging at the nineteen year old. 

Ken had been standing entirely oblivious to the invasion to his privacy. He was still standing on his bed with his head tilted back and the hairbrush to his lips as he belted out the song along with the man on the radio.

Yoji's roar however quickly snapped him out of his pop idol trance.

"ARGH!"

Ken's hairbrush ricocheted off of Yoji's head and bounced into the hallway to come to rest at Omi's feet.

"Oy?" Omi yelped before skipping over the flying object and running into the room. "Ken!" There was a pause. "Yoji?" Aya pushed his way into the room, his eyes blaring with the wish of revenge. "Aya-kun?" 

Omi stared around the room at his three comrades in arms. Ken... was not dying. He blinked. Yet...

The hairbrush had momentarily stalled Yoji's charge. However, in spite of his throbbing head and the injury he had sustained, his anger had not abated. He launched himself at Ken again.

"What the hell are you doing in my room!?!?!?" Ken demanded, his hands on his hips as he glared at the advancing Yoji. "Get out!"

Yoji's glasses slipped down on his nose, revealing the fury in his green eyes. "I am going to dig your vocal chords out with... with... a very blunt object and then I'm going to cook them and feed them too your soccer buddies you horrible... horrible..."

Ken's face had visibly paled as Omi turned green. (Well...) Omi thought. (At least he's getting more original.) He scratched his head and tried to settle his stomach.

Ken let out a squawk as Yoji lunged for him on the bed.

Ken moved out of the way, jumping off his bed and making his way around Aya's glaring body. (Why is that man always in the way when Yoji's attacking Ken????) His bare feet slapped at the wooden floor of the hallway as Yoji came tearing after him.

Omi stumbled back out of the way as Yoji came tearing after Ken. "Oi! Yoji-kun!! Damaging fellow members might not be entirely wise!!"

The advice was entirely ignored.

Aya walked away, heading in the other direction, resignation already paling in his eyes as he realized once more how insane the others were and there was just... nothing you could do... nothing to say. Except... "Die..." He grumbled to himself.

The fury in Yoji's green eyes as he tore down the stairs after the fleeing Ken had changed into a more evil... scary glint, showing that Yoji had already decided what he would do to get revenge.

The man's legs were longer and his arms reached out and grabbed, his long fingers snatching at the side of the pink fuzzy towel that had been keeping Ken's dignity whole for the moment.

Ken stopped... froze in mid motion as it suddenly was every cold!

Ken's hands immediately dropped in front of himself as he dove to the ground, crouching down and squawking loudly.

Yoji said nothing, but merely turned and very slowly began to waltz away, leaving Ken shrieking-and very... vulnerable... behind him.

"YOU *#$)(@*#$)@(#$*%)#($*%@)#*$@)#($*!@_$_ 0934%)(*&@ #$%*@... @)#($82)#948!_@()@#$%)(*!!!!!!!!"

Omi blinked and began to turn very, very red. His hand went up to his face as he shook his head and gave a little coughing sound. "Yoji-kun...." Omi sighed and trotted into one of the rooms, grabbing a cover as quickly as he could to give to his now butt naked friend.

"I'M GOING TO KILL HIM!!!!!!" Ken shrieked after the still very calmly departing Yoji who strolled up the stairs and then flung the very fuzzy pink towel off of the balcony. "I'M GOING TO GUT HIM AND... AND... AND!!!!"

Omi handed Ken the cover off of the bed and patted him encouragingly on the head. "I'm sure you'll think of something Ken-kun."

Ken's eyes flashed, hardening and glaring up at his little friend. "ARGH!"

He threw himself to his feet and ran away. Of course, before he did this, he covered his entire body with the cover leaving only the hair on the top of his head to be seen. 

Omi heaved another sigh and rubbed his eyes wearily. 

It was only early morning.

And already everyone wanted to kill each other.

Another ordinary day.

He made his way back into his room, hoping that the crack in his computer screen could be fixed... if not... Ken would owe him BIG time. 

On the floor below him, Aya had made his way back to the kitchen in hopes of cleaning up the spilt coffee before heading back up to his room to change. All the while he muttered none too subtle death threats under his breath as he began to imagine very interesting ways to get either Yoji or Ken to follow the other off a very high cliff.

The sound of high heels on the tile floor of their kitchen made him look up just as he pitched the rest of the paper towels into the garbage and had righted his coffee mug, erasing most of the evidence of the accident.

Manx paused in the doorway, her fluffy red hair falling around her shoulders and over her perfectly tailored suit. She stood there with one hand on her hip and the other hip jutted out. In her hand she held a very pink towel tangling off of one finger.

Aya glanced at it, recognized it, and raised an eyebrow. Yoji was definitely getting more original with his ideas of revenge...

Or was it just more perverted ways of revenge. 

The thought left him as he saw Manx's eyes trail up and down his body. Her eyebrow's went up and a smile tugged at her lips. 

"Interesting day?" She asked a bit too archly. Aya followed her eyes and saw the brown stain on his pants from the spilt coffee. He closed his eyes. His head was going to hurt. 

"Die." He muttered, throwing his hands up in the air and heading once again for the stairs, not to kill anyone, though he wished he could, but to change.

Manx let herself have a slight laugh as she leaned back into the kitchen counter, waiting for one of the boys to return to greet her and for the meeting they had planned for this morning.

She shook her head. She had thought that an early morning meeting might actually keep them from getting into too much trouble.

She should have known better.

Omi sighed as his fingers left the place of damage and his hand curled into a fist. Bakas. They were all bakas. Now he would have to go and tell Manx that he needed a new computer... and how was he going to explain why? At the thought of Manx's name his blue eyes widened. He glanced at his watch and gave a little cry before he ran out of the door. He needed to get to her before the others did. Who knows what the others were capable of doing this early in the morning...

On the way down, he almost bumped into a grumbling Aya.

Aya turned very dark violet eyes on his in a dangerous expression.

Omi blinked. "Oi, Aya-kun, is something wrong?"

Aya glared at him. He said nothing for a moment, but turned away, grumbling, the only word audible was a very frequently repeated "Die."

Omi blinked, scratched his head and then turned to run back down to the kitchen.

Just outside the kitchen door he paused for a long moment, trying to think how exactly he was going to explain the others moods, or how he was going to let Manx know that the brand new monitor that had replaced the one that had been destroyed in the flower shop just so recently needed to be replaced already.

It wasn't until he saw Aya headed for the stairs above him that he decided he would have to figure out what to say later.

He entered the kitchen, smile back on his face. As he expected, Manx was already there. She returned his smile... barely. Her eyes stayed at the same spot as she still waited for the others to come down. Finally she sighed and decided it would be too long of a wait. 

"Anything to report... Bombay?" It was more of an order than a question but the way she stared at him made him wonder what exactly she wanted him to report. Before he could blink and give her one of his most 'innocent- I don't know what you're talking about' look, she threw a pink thing at his face. 

"That's disgusting!" He yelped and ducked as he realized a minute too late that the pink thing had been around Ken's waist minutes before. It skimmed his head before landing behind him. He glared at her before straightening himself up. 

However, her eyes had moved past him, making Omi's glare melt as he turned around.

Aya had returned, his clothing changed and he had returned to his usual orange turtle neck sweater. He stood in the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest. However, his face was just barely visible under the folds of the pink towel that had landed quite nicely on his head.

Aya stood very still for a very long moment as Omi carefully backed away from him towards Manx, hoping that perhaps there would be some protection there.

Still moving very slowly, Aya unfolded his arms and reached over his head, removing the disgusting pink towel from his head and placing it very carefully on the cutting board on the kitchen counter.

Ever so slowly, Aya slipped a carving knife from the block at his side.

Omi swallowed hard.

Carefully, Aya slid the knife under the towel and then flung it into the air.

Before Omi had blinked, the towel was in tatters and Aya was breathing a little harder as he replaced the knife in the butchers block.

He nodded quite contentedly and turned away from the minute pieces of fabric that were still falling to the ground.

"Die." He muttered, sitting down at the kitchen table.

"NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!"

Ken darted into the kitchen, seeing the remainders of the pink fabric fluttering in the air. His green eyes were way too pained over the death of his... pink towel. Omi, unable to resist asking his friend why the heck he owned such a thing, blurted the question out as he moved away from Manx and knelt, helping the brunette to pick up the pieces.

"Why exactly did you own a pink towel, Ken-kun??"

Ken found his voice a bit too constricted to speak for a moment and without saying a word he just brought one piece toward his cheek, resting it there. 

"Are you okay, Ken-kun?" Omi was starting to get worried now. There was no way someone could be attached to a towel to this degree. "We can buy you another pink towel..." He added softly, handing the pieces to Ken. "Or I can try sewing it back together..." He trailed off as the older boy muttered a name.

"Yuriko."

Oh. Now it made sense. Omi Sighed. "I'll try and patch it up for you. At least... Aya makes clean cuts..." 

From the table, Aya's eyes suddenly lost their dark fury. He glanced over his shoulder, pain flashing for only an instant in violet eyes before he turned back to the table and turned his back on the others.

He would think of something...

Omi caught Aya's look and gave a small smile. At least some peace had been regained. "Come Ken-kun... We need to get up... Where's Yoji-kun?" He asked, pulling the brunette up along with him. The towel pieces were shoved in his hands as Ken hurriedly muttered something in Omi's direction. 

"I trust you with these while I go get that ass out of bed! Excuse me for a minute..." 

Omi blinked, but before he could move, or make a protest, Ken had bounded almost cheerfully out of the kitchen, recovering from the injury to his poor beloved pink towel rather quickly at the prospect of awakening the sleeping bear.

Manx gave a little disgruntled noise. 

Omi sighed.

Aya kept thinking of ways to mend up the situation. 

Manx suddenly shook her head and decided that she wasn't willing to wait any more. She might as well start this discussion with the only two of the group that ever seemed to take anything seriously.

"Any ideas of what you guys could do?" Manx asked, breaking the silence. "Florists are out of the question... Schwartz will be expecting that... Computer analysts won't do either Omi... You're the only one who can work one without breaking it." Omi sweat dropped.

"Ano... Manx-san... I..." He scratched his head and gave a weak smile. "I... actually..." (My baby broke.) He thought mournfully. "...I need a new monitor." It was said.

Manx's cool, calm expression twitched just slightly. "Bombay..." It was something like a growl. "We just got you that computer."

"Gomen... gomen... I know! I..."

"Their was a high pitched resonance that cracked the screen." Aya muttered coolly. "We have reason to believe that it was..." There was a slight pause. "...Nagi's doing."

Manx blinked.

Omi glanced at Aya sharply for a moment, wondering about the lie, and wondering exactly what Aya's intentions behind it were. His voice was so dark and completely serious, for a moment, Omi almost believed it himself.

Aya's gaze caught Omi's briefly.

His expression never changed, and his words continued to be dark. "Actually," he said coldly. "We have reason to believe there will be another one of these high pitched resonance attacks shortly."

From high above them, Yoji's scream shattered their calm silence.

"Oh." Manx smiled. "I see. I'll get you a new one shortly... with protection. And Bombay... if any more of these... attacks occur... Go to plan B."

Aya froze. Plan B? What the...? He glanced from Manx to Omi and back although his expression never changed.

Omi just nodded wainly... a bit of a smile starting to come onto his now relaxed face.

Aya didn't say anything, but shrugged to himself and turned back to the table.

"Hai, Manx. Demo, you were trying to think of places that we can go, since you think being another florist would be a bad idea?"

She nodded. "Suggestions would be nice..." She muttered. Omi understood that and searched his brain.

(We'd need money. We'd need ... public attention to keep Schwartz away... We need to keep Ken and Yoji distracted but happy...)

"Singers?"

Aya's head snapped up, his eyes a fraction of an inch wider, but definitely wider.

He didn't have a chance to pose an objection as Manx eyes lit up.

But before anyone could speak, Ken came tearing into the kitchen, doing a flying leap over the counter top in the middle of the kitchen and flying through the air before sliding on the floor. He dove to the ground behind Omi, crouching behind him before jumping back up and grabbing the kids shoulders, using him as a shield as Yoji came tearing into the room.

Omi couldn't help noticing a slight difference in the tall, older man's hair.

It seemed to be some what shorter, and just a little bit scragglier. Omi sweat dropped. He hadn't thought that was possible.

Yoji held a hunk of hair in a discarded pony tail holder and stood like just that awakened hibernating bear, ready to make Ken his first meal of spring.

He was too angry to speak, his face red and his eyes wide. "I... I... kiiiillll yooouuu!!" He never raised his voice, but each word was drawn out in a frightening way as he raised his arms over his head threateningly.

"Oi!" Ken cried. "You have to go through the kid to get to me!"

Omi let out a helpless shriek. "Oi!!! No bringing me into the middle of this!!!"

He squirmed in Ken's iron grip, but wasn't sure he entirely wanted to get out of the way as Yoji advanced on the pair of them.

"It's an improvement, Yoji," Aya said softly from the table, his eyes glinting.

That stopped Yoji. The anger washed away only to leave an image of broken dignity. His hands went up to his hair and he tugged at one of the strands.

"An improvement?" The voice cracked. Omi sighed.

"Yoji... it will grow back. I'll make sure that Ken never gets a hold of scissors again. I promise."

"Gimme a break!!" Ken yelped from behind them. "I had to think of way to get him back, but he wouldn't mind exposing himself--" Yoji let out a startled squawk. "So I had to think of something that would wound his dignity as much as mine!"

Yoji began to roar, but Manx cleared her throat quite primly. "A little too much information boys, but thanks ever so much for the mental images... if we could move on please!"

(Oh I'm so sure that was too much information for you, Manx-san.) Omi thought to himself as he noticed the little smile that was on her face. (Evil lady.) He shook his head. (Can I move now?) He gave a little shrug and found that Ken's grip hadn't loosened. He didn't like being used as a shield. And he really, really didn't like being held this way! His patience for all of this was gone now! "Oy! That's ENOUGH!" 

Yoji froze, and Ken jumped, and Aya glanced up wide eyed. Even Manx looked a little started.

"Oi," Yoji muttered. "Angry Omi scary..."

Ken quickly let go of Omi's shoulders and hung back, whining slightly as he slipped into the chair at the kitchen table beside Aya and across from Yoji.

"Yoji. Sit. Down." Omi grumbled. He glared at Manx and she too went to sit down. "Good grief." Omi muttered. "Can we now have this meeting?" He waited. Silence greeted this. "Thank you." And then he smiled and his blue eyes lightened.

"Scary chibi." Yoji muttered again.

Manx glared at him slightly, distaste apparent in her eyes before she shook her head and turned back to Omi. "What was your last suggestion?"

Omi's lips parted, but he didn't get anything out before Aya had cut him off.

"I think we can think of something else," he said very, very quickly.

"What did Omi say?" Ken asked softly.

"Yeah, oh mighty leader, the chibi has good ideas every once in a while."

"Every once in a while?!?" Omi pouted. Ken and Yoji sweatdropped. Pouting Omi was not a good thing. It meant he would get his way... one way or another.

"'Oh mighty leader'?" Aya repeated a bit lost. His eyes darkened as the sarcasm clicked in. "Ajo!" 

Yoji smiled at him sweetly before turning back to Manx. "So, sugar, what's on the roster for us today?"

Manx glared at him.

Omi let out a frustrated snarl and Yoji glanced at him, surprised. "Oi, the chibi is grumpy this morning."

"Only because I have to deal with you bakas!" Omi muttered darkly.

"He just can't stand seeing you in this new look of yours so early in the morning," Aya said blandly.

"Can you just tell us what Omi suggested for god's sake!" Ken finally shouted. Then he paused and blinked. "Woah! Aya? Are you okay man? That's like twice today that he's beaten Yoji down! Yahoo!"

Aya glared at him coldly and Yoji growled threateningly.

Manx threw up her hands. "I liked it better when you four didn't interact."

"..." Omi had nothing to say. "Since you have my input, I'm going to go mourn the death of my computer, go sew this thing up, and go hide all the scissors. Excuse me... Tell me when you guys have thought up of something." He pushed himself up and shoved the chair under the table. Then without another word, he walked out of the room. 

It was funny, but in a way, Manx was right. After everything that had happened, things had changed. None of what had happened this morning would have been dreamed of a year ago when they first began. Once the four of them had been together, but they'd been nothing but strangers together in name only.

Now... he wasn't sure what they were.

Still, Whatever they all were together... they still gave him a headache. As he walked up the stairs Omi smiled wistfully.

(Funny family I have acquired.)

He slipped into his room and glanced once more at the cracked computer screen. It made him sigh, but he shrugged it off and set the pieces of poor Ken's towel onto the bed before trying to think of what on earth he was going to use to sew it together again for him. He'd need to buy pink thread that was for sure. He only had dark threads... blue, black... some whites and one spool of orange for Ken's mission sweater. Oh well. He'd figure something out. Wait... white. White might work. Yes... white would be fine. 

Far below him, Ken's face had gone very pale. "Omi... suggested... WHAT?" Yoji's face broke into a huge smile. 

"Omi suggested you become singers, in a band," Manx repeated calmly.

"Sugoi! When do we start?" Yoji's green eyes suddenly glazed over happily, the cut hair forgotten as he let his imagination run off with him. "Oh the success... oh the girls..." He sighed happily. "Omi's such a smart kid." He paused. "Didn't know the kid had it in him though..."

Upstairs Omi sneezed and pricked his fingers as he was threading the needle.

Downstairs, Aya was dying at the thought. He glared at Yoji coldly. "Die."

"Oh get that pole out of your ass Aya!" Yoji snapped back amiably, still in Lala land and not quite realizing what he said out loud! Ken did. And Backed away.

"Uh... have we all decided then?" He asked fearfully. "Singers... Aya? Don't kill him!"

Aya's hands paused in the slow movements he was making back towards the butchers block and glared at Ken. "I want no part in this," he said stoically.

"Don't be so modest." Manx purred. "I've been told that you have wonderful music skills from Aya-chan. Very good skills. And a voice to kill for." 

Ken blinked.

Yoji blinked and turned pale.

Aya... blinked, turned red and then paled.

"She said what?" He asked softly. 

"I think I'll go find Omi and tell him our decision... I mean... uhm I'll go find him and uh... tell him bad. Bad decision. We not sing. Holy shit! Aya...." Ken stammered something out and then went to hide as Aya glared him down and slowly advanced. 

"Kso!" Yoji muttered suddenly. "Does that mean HE gets to be the lead singer?!?!?" He pointed angrily at Aya.

"We. Are. Not. Singing." Aya said with icy precision marking his every word. "I. Don't. Sing."

"Come now, Aya," Manx said simply. "We could always have you guys try out for Lord of the Dance."

Aya paled visibly.

"You guys would be so sexy in tights," she added simply. "I'm sure you wouldn't mind the tight exposure, Ken."

"I WHAT?" Ken squeaked. "Tight WHAT??? OMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!! HELP!"

Upstairs Omi sneezed.

Aya was slowly backing away from Manx. "I am. not. doing. this."

Yoji grinned to himself as he stood and threw an arm over Manx's shoulders.

They grinned at Aya.

"I am not. doing. this."

  
  



	2. Petal

Chapter Two: Petal

  
  


Aya sat glaring at Yoji from across the bus.

(This is not going well...) Omi thought as he smiled, acting oblivious to the angry stares that were being passed around. (Maybe my idea... isn't that great. Bakas.) He sighed and stared at his bandaged finger. (I suppose I'll be able to finish the repair tonight...) That wasn't a very pleasing thought. He sighed again.

"Ano..." He said suddenly, breaking the ice. "Why do we need to go clothes shopping?"

Yoji rolled his eyes and dramatically lounged himself on the bus seat even more if that was possible. "We need to look sexy for our fans Omittchi." Omi wrinkled his nose in distaste to that nickname that Yoji hadn't been using for awhile. 

"Demo...how are we going to decide on what looks... 'sexy'?" Omi muttered suddenly very fearful. 

"Easy." Aya muttered venomously. "We don't let him choose." He pointed to Yoji's form in disgust.

"Oh." Omi and Ken muttered. 

"Ah-ah Aya-CHAN!" Yoji emphasized with a smile. "We each pick out outfits for all of us. Buy it. Try it out at home. And vote."

(We're going to die.) Omi thought his headache coming back at full strength. (We are all going to die.) Omi glanced at Aya. (Oi... and I feel very sorry for Aya-chan when she meets up with her angry brother...) He shook his head, and for the umpteenth time sat, trying to imagine a musical Aya. It surprised him more than anything, but Ken had informed him of what Manx had said. It still didn't make sense to him. He couldn't begin to imagine Aya listening to music, let alone playing it. Omi had seen him sitting in his room in silence far too often.

Omi sighed.

"So how are we doing this then?" He pressed, hoping to begin a conversation that wouldn't digress into petty insults being thrown around the bus. It was starting to make the other people avoid them...

"We separate and let's see..." (Yoji is getting way too into this.) Omi thought as he listened to the older man's voice. "We'll meet in ... what... two hours so we can eat lunch together at the Korean restaurant down the street?"

"You actually will stay... with us to have lunch?" Ken asked, eyes wide. "Amazing."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Yoji asked, sounding falsely wounded.

"We can't possibly be as interesting as your usual distractions," Ken muttered darkly and Omi rolled his eyes heaven ward.

Yoji however gave am evil looking smile. "Well, you guys are kind of ill equipped if you want my attention that way."

Omi coughed and Ken blushed furiously.

"I think you should die." Aya said very calmly. "Pervert."

"I'm wounded." Yoji clasped a hand over his heart and waggled his eyebrows suggestively. "Can you come and heal me Ken-kun?"

Ken's jaw dropped and his face went even redder--which Omi hadn't thought was quite possible-- and he quickly kicked Yoji in the shin.

Yoji let out a little shriek that made the bus driver glance over his shoulder with an irritated look on his face.

Aya let out a disgusted sound. "Die," he muttered again before turning to look out the window.

"You really should increase your vocabulary, Aya," Yoji said darkly, rubbing one shin. "The only thing I ever hear out of you is death threats."

Aya glared at him. "What, would you prefer I show you exactly how I'll carry some of them out?"

"I'll pass thank you." Yoji sighed letting go of his ankle.

"Then...I suggest you stop teasing the... kids."

Ken squeaked as Omi let his lip stick out in a pout. "That's not very nice Aya-kun," he said sweetly, blinking blue eyes up in a very innocent manner.

Aya didn't bother to respond as he turned once more to look out the window.

Omi smiled to himself as he recognized the fact that Aya would not meet his sweet gaze. His grin was slightly evil and Ken looked at him startled.

"Oi, kid, I don't think I want to know what you're thinking," he muttered.

"I'm not a hentai, Ken-kun." Omi continued sweetly. "I'm just not a kid."

Yoji shot him another startled look. "And that means exactly what, chibi? That you're not totally perverted, but old enough to be perverted?"

"Old enough." Omi agreed daring Yoji to add anything to that. 

Yoji blanched and looked away quickly, perturbed by the look in the little kids eyes. "Oi... chibi's." He shrugged.

Aya shot a look at Omi, but saw the glint of humor that was still in the 18 year old's eyes. He'd never noticed the dark sense of humor that Omi sometimes had.

But then, the changes were still taking over each of them.

Aya looked away.

There were things that some people could never get used to, some things that no one would ever get over.

He still could not see the small boy he had met and for a while, trusted when he had first joined Weiss. Aya watched as the street signs and lights went flashing by the windows of the quickly moving bus. He could still remember exactly what had raged through his mind the moment he heard Omi's true name, Omi's true... Aya shook his head and masked the movement, pretending to sweep the hair out of his eyes.

No matter what they did, or how they worked together, he was quite sure that he would never be able to view Omi as an innocent again.

The humor in Omi's blue eyes faded. The bus stopped and they all got off but Omi went his way into the shop before anything else could be said. 

"I hope he remembers that we're meeting in two hours." Yoji muttered, and slipping his sun glasses on. He brushed his hands through his hair and then whined. "I need to stop off at the hair dressers first..." He let his glasses slide down on his nose far enough to give Ken a deadly glare and Ken grinned at him sweetly.

Aya shook his head and rolled his eyes heavenward. "Omi will remember. He always does."

With that, Aya left the two of them on the side walk.

Ken darted away, knowing that with Yoji's last thoughts he was not entirely willing to be caught alone with Yoji.

Each went on their own way, and Yoji walked away, muttering about children playing with scissors.


	3. A Single Note

Chapter Three: A Single Note

  
  


Aya glanced at his watch, annoyance still on his features as he sat with his hands folded on the table, staring out the window the restaurant.

"Can I help you?" The waitress asked for the second time.

"No, thank you," he said coldly.

"You don't want anything to drink?" She asked, her calm looking slightly flustered.

"I'm waiting for someone."

"Ohayo!" A cheerful voice chirped behind him. "Sumimasen Aya-kun. I...I'm not the only one late." Omi observed instead of giving the excuse that he had been planning on giving. He dropped the shopping bags by the side of his seat as he plopped down across from Aya at the table for four.

The waitress turned to him gratefully. "May I help you?" She inquired.

"Ano..." Omi glanced at the table and then quickly rattled off a small order for a decent lunch.

The waitress glanced at Aya again.

"No, thank you." He repeated, and she turned away, giving him a slightly cold look before running off to retrieve Omi's order.

"Nani? Aren't you hungry?" Omi asked, frowning slightly.

"Iya," Aya said simply and he stood. "I've finished what we needed, so I'm going home now. You'll tell the others?"

"H-hai..." Omi muttered. The tall man left the restaurant leaving Omi to his thoughts. (I suppose that was to be expected.) He closed his eyes for a moment and gave a wry smile. (Even if he says I'm Omi... he stills believes I'm Taketori. Why would he stay with me?)

He shook his head impatiently. Enough of those kind of thoughts. He unclenched his hands and ignored the passing time. The others would come. 

But he couldn't help the sting that the thoughts left in his chest.

"Konnichi wa!!!" Ken called, stumbled through the door as he balanced his bags on his hip. Omi forced a smile but the forced one didn't stay on his face very long as Ken's cheerful face greeted him so enthusiastically. "Look... How incredibly cool is this!?!"

Ken threw himself down in the chair that Aya had just vacated, and for some reason that seemed only to bother Omi more.

He did however turn his attention to the ball that Ken was holding in his hands.

It was funny colours for a soccer ball, blue and orange, and Omi couldn't help the thought that the colours were kind of grotesque together. "Ano... nani... what is that, Ken-kun?"

"It's this brand new make! It's fabulous, it's supposed to be balanced, and I can't wait to get it home and try it out with the kids..."

Omi couldn't help the bubble of laughter that filtered out from his lips at the image of Ken being just as excited as the little kids he coached over his new toy.

"Sugoi." Omi whispered. Now there was only Yoji that needed to arrive. But him being late wasn't that surprising. The waitress came and blinked at the sight of a different man sitting in the chair next to him. She placed his plate down in front of him and glanced at Ken with out right surprise as the brunette started to bounce the soccer ball on his head. The Waitress glanced back at Omi.

"I don't suppose he'll have anything, will he?" She asked slowly.

"Ken-kun?" Omi blinked. "I... ano... don't think that you should..." The ball slammed down on the table and the waitress squeaked.

Ken blushed.

"Oi..." Omi shook his head. "ano... do you want anything, Ken-kun?"

Ken grinned, putting the soccer ball protectively in his lap as the waitress glared at him. "I'm starving!!"

"So what will you take?" Omi asked gently, not letting the frustration take over. 

"Oh... uhm..." Ken placed his order and the waitress went on her way, probably very happy to get away from their table.

"I think you should put the soccer ball away Ken-kun...we are in a restaurant..."

Ken looked a little startled and then blushed, shoving the ball back into the bag. "hai, sumi masen," he muttered.

"Ano... and weren't we supposed to be shopping for clothes for this... idea of mine Ken-kun?"

"I did." Ken muttered in his defense... "The soccer ball was just... in the same shop?" He gave a shrug and grinned and Omi decided to leave it at that and start eating instead.

The loud giggles from the doorway made both Omi and Ken look up.

The waitress that was waiting on them paused in bringing Ken his order as she saw Yoji and a small blonde girl cuddled in his arms--between the bags in his hands, and hers.

Omi made a face. "Please tell me that this is NOT happening!" Ken gave a slow shake of his head. 

"I knew there had to be a catch to this whole together thing." The brunette shrugged. "By the way where's Aya?"

"He went home." Omi answered Ken, though his blue eyes never leaving Yoji's and his new catch.

"How come?" Ken asked, innocently as the woman placed his food down in front of him and he grinned up at her. "Arigatou!"

The waitress just nodded and then tried to escape but Yoji called after her as he reached the table. She came back looking just a mite frustrated. Ignoring her for the moment, Yoji scanned the faces at the table. 

"Where's the Ice King?" 

"Home." Omi answered again. 

Omi couldn't help the gratitude that he hadn't had to answer Ken's question. Yoji didn't seem concerned as to why Aya had retreated, and Ken was too distracted with his food to pose the question again.

"Oh, good, then there's room for Chei!" Yoji dropped his bags beside Ken and then grabbed the chair, holding it for Chei to sit down.

She giggled, sweeping white blonde hair from her face and dropping her bags on Ken's lap. "Thanks hun!"

Yoji grinned and slid around Omi to perch across from her, never taking his eyes off of her.

Ken sputtered, shoving her bags to the ground, but Yoji gave him a swift kick under the table and then smiled brilliantly. "What would you like to eat, Chei?"

"You're late, Yoji," Omi said and Yoji glanced at him, a little started at the tone of the kid's voice.

His eyes were hard, but Yoji couldn't detect why.

"I had to wait for Chei to get her break so I could bring her along," Yoji said flippantly, shrugging and waving obnoxiously at the waitress, trying to get her to take his order.

Omi said nothing more, but couldn't help the cold stare he set on the tiny blonde girl whose gaze never registered the other two at the table.

She was not meant to be there.

That seat was not for her.

Omi looked back at his plate, but couldn't help the lump that had developed in his stomach and stolen his appetite. It didn't seem right for Aya's place at their table to be filled by some frivolous girl who had no clue as to how things went...

He shook his head. She was not one of them.

He glanced up and forced a smile onto his lips. (Baka...) He muttered to himself. (Aya doesn't even want to be in this twisted family, anyway... what do you care?)

He grinned at Chei and tried to catch her attention. "So where do you work?" He asked politely. 

She glanced at Omi for a moment, looking startled, then grinned. "Kawaii..." She muttered, the fakeness in her face making him wish that he hadn't even tired to start a conversation with this... girl. Already her attention was back on Yoji. But perhaps that was for the best. He glanced back at his plate. He couldn't eat... any more. 

He stood up with a smile plastered on his face. 

"I'll be going now." He put some money on the table. " That should cover the cost of my lunch."

"Oy... where you going kid?"

"Yeah..." Ken added with a slightly worried look. Omi almost sympathized with him. He gave a little shrug. 

"I think I'm gonna head for home." (I think I'll go where someone actually understands. Ouka...) There was nothing really that he could do... and they obviously did not need him to make the atmosphere happy... or to simply keep the peace...so... "Bye. It was nice to meet you Chei." 

Yoji glanced over his glasses at Omi as he collected the few bags of clothing that he had gotten over the past two hours, expression speculative.

He wasn't sure if the kid knew just how fake his smile looked at that moment. But then, the kid probably thought that all those smiles fooled everyone as well as they always seemed to fool Aya and Ken.

He raised an eyebrow, watching as Omi turned and walked away.

The kid hurt.

Yoji forced himself to smile and looked back at the girl across from him. She was totally brainless. He didn't like them any other way. His smile faltered slightly. No, he didn't like them any other way. Because if it was to progress past like, they would have to have half a brain in their head.

Yoji didn't particularly want that.

So he put up with the twittering.

He didn't mind too much with the body on her.

Yoji smiled to himself.

Everybody hurt.


	4. Natural Song

Chapter Four: The Natural Song

  
  


Aya hadn't gone home.

He glanced around the store, wandering slowly between the rows, his eyes taking in the details.

It felt weird. It felt... old, and he felt as though the entire thing were something that he had forgotten.

The instruments around him were all shining, almost disturbingly perfect.

He didn't want to touch them.

The man behind the counter looked at him suspiciously, and kept eyeing the bag that Aya had at his side, containing the few items of clothing he had picked out. He looked as though he kept expecting Aya to start trying to destroy the precious, delicate things his shop contained.

Aya looked away, turning back to the sheet music...

It felt to weird.

He shrugged to himself and gave into the never ending stare the store owner was throwing at him. He turned and walked towards the exit.

He couldn't help wondering if the others had even thought this through. 

Yoji was so thrilled with all of this idea, all of this... ridiculous-ness. Aya shook his head and the cold wind from outside struck him, his earring catching for a moment in his hair before he shook his head to free it.

They were never going to be able to pull this off. Manx should have known that. They'd all heard Ken sing, let alone the noises he'd been making that morning... for a second, Aya almost smiled. God knew Yoji was more than likely no better, and he was quite sure that none of them had ever played an instrument.

Singers... He shook his head.

He wasn't going to be able to do this.

It was going to take more than clothing and a new hair cut to bring them into the protection during the day that he knew Omi had been thinking of.

Aya glanced up at the dark, swirling clouds of the sky, brushing the hair back from his face with a pale hand.

It was going to take more than a song to save them from Schwartz.

And it was going to take more than music to save them from themselves...

  
  


~

  
  


He let the smile fade as he left the noise and all the colours of the many shops... Outside... the wind was blowing. It was cold. 

But that wasn't really anything new. 

He knew how many steps it would take him to get to where he needed to go.

He knew how many steps it would take before he let everything go crashing down.

It's been a year.

The hurt never seemed to fade.

Oh well.

It's not like he really deserved it to fade. It had been after all... his fault.

His scrunched his nose, and pouted... That was not helping!

Dark thoughts were not him.

They couldn't be him. 

(I really am trying... I am...)

It just gets hard sometimes. 23 more steps. And that was all. Then he'd be safe. He'd be safe and he's be able to sit down and clear his thoughts and be with her. 

He wouldn't need Aya's acceptance.

Or Ken's laughter.

Or Yoji's teasing.

He'd be himself.

And then he'd be okay.

...

After a the steps had been taken and were done, Omi let himself sit, the bags of clothing behind him as he leaned against his sister's grave.

His voice was soft as he kept a small conversation with no one except perhaps his imagination and the wind that continued to rustle about him and play with his hair. 

"...We're stopping the florist thing now... moving on to become singers. Not much better... demo..." He shrugged. "I've already stopped school so I guess time won't be too much of a problem. And I'm hoping... that we won't be a success. Never know though... especially with our luck." His voice faded then, he was done giving Ouka the news of the past few days. "I promise I'll come back more frequently..." (Demo...) There's always a but to everything that can be said.

Arigatou...

A drop of wetness splashed on his nose and Omi looked up. The angry clouds had stopped their mad dash to chase each other out of the sky, instead they hung there... and were now crying. 

Omi had never really liked dark days where you couldn't see the sun shine. He wrinkled his nose.

It was time to go. 

He picked up the bags and started back the way he had come. Only 110 steps to go.

And on and on we go...

Sick carousel of fate.

Bah!


	5. Only A Beat Away

Chapter Five: Only a Beat Away

  
  


Yoji hit the lights as he slammed the door behind himself and Ken.

Ken shook himself rather violently, trying to get the water off of himself as he dropped his bags back on the floor.

It didn't take him long between dropping the bags, shaking the water off of himself and then grabbed the soccer ball out of the bag and beginning to bounce in on his knee.

Yoji glanced at him and shook his head.

His arms were so full that he had to shut the door with his backside... Ken however, never offered to help, and Yoji dumped his bags of accessories and clothing and... everything on the couch.

He sighed and sprawled back on the couch between his parcels, watching Ken as he bounced around with the ball.

He knew he should still have been mad at the psycho brat, however, after his quick visit to the hairdressers, he couldn't help thinking that maybe Ken had done him a favor. The new style worked. Chei certainly seemed to think so.

Yoji sighed.

"Where's the chibi and the ice man?" He asked, thinking out loud. "Did they walk home?" Ken gave no response as he continued to play. That ball was really... odd. Yoji sometimes wondered if he was the only one with real fashion sense. Really... since when did redheads where orange... Ken was no better with his scary amount of sports clothes in all different colours combined that shouldn't be combined. Just like that ball... disgusting actually.

And Omi's taste... baggy, comfy no doubt but baggy... and sometimes way too cute! How could a boy wear cute things and pull it off???

He sighed again, but the sound wasn't registered by the distracted Ken. He glanced around the empty apartment a final time.

There was no doubt in his mind that Omi and the Ice Man weren't home. The lights had been off, and as strange as Aya was sometimes, he usually left some sign that he was home when he came in. Omi would have greeted them by now...

Where were they?

He couldn't help the thought that every time the pair of them were alone together...

Yoji shook his head. He kept thinking that some day he was going to come home and find the pair of them had killed each other.

He almost laughed. How entirely irrational was that??? He shook his head. (Baka...) He chided himself. They were over it.

They had been for a while...

But Yoji was never fooled by the sweet innocence in Omi's smile.

He never had been.

He just let it go. He let Omi think he had them all fooled and that they didn't know all the times that he found his way to his sisters grave, or smiled for them simply because they needed it.

It was what Omi needed to do... so Yoji let him do it.

Ken's soccer ball bounced off the back of Yoji's head.

"...G....g-gomen Yoji..." Ken choked the laughter back. "You blended in with the sofa." Yoji cracked an eye open... he had closed them when the burst of pain had flashed through his head. That ball was hard! Stupid hideous thing. Who in their right mind would put orange and blue together?

"Ken... have I ever told you how much... I hate you." 

"Hai hai! You have you have..." Ken went back to bouncing that murderous object on his head. 

"What kind of a head do you have? Is it made out of bricks? That thing is hard! No wonder there's no common sense left in you..." Yoji grumbled, not angry enough to get up and teach the kid another lesson. 

The door flew open and in hopped a very wet Omi.

Ken paused, the ball rolling away... forgotten of all things. 

"You're dripping wet! What's wrong with you... You'll get sick!" Ken almost screeched out to Yoji's and Omi's utter horror. 

The kid's hair was stuck to his face... he was absolutely drenched. 

"Oy... Ken-kun..." Omi protested weakly as he was half dragged up the stairs. 

"Towels. Lots of Towels.... baka. Staying outside when it's raining..."

"I thought you'd have had enough of towel's today, Ken," Yoji muttered under his breath, closing his eyes again. Ken just continued to grumble at Omi... ignoring the comment-that or he hadn't heard it. 

"Stay." Ken ordered. Omi stayed, meek and quiet.

"I really am okay... Ken-..." A towel was thrown at his face and suddenly he was wrapped up in more than five. 

Omi blinked under the weight of the cottony fabric. "Ano... Ken-kun..." His words were muffled as Ken's hands moved rapidly around his head, trying to rub the water droplets out of Omi's hair and causing the towel's to fall over his face. "Help!" Omi squeaked, trying to get out from the maze of towels.

Behind them, the door opened once more.

"And now we're four." Yoji muttered, eyes still close. "Welcome home... Aya." Silence greeted him. "If you're wet.... don't go near Ken-kun... He has a real motherly streak in him. Omi just got caught and the poor kid is being suffocated in towels."

"Help!"

"I see." Aya muttered. He started for the stairs, hoping to escape into his room with the bags without being noticed. The plan failed. 

"Help!"

"If you'd stop moving around so...Aya! You too? What the..." Ken grabbed the older man and pulled him into the bathroom. Before Aya could even react and comprehend what was going on, Ken had a towel over his head and was trying to dry the red strands. "Kneel down for god sakes... I'm not as tall as you are!"

Yoji's cackling laugh could be heard from the living room.

Only to have a very wet towel smack him in the face as it came flying out of the bathroom...

"That does it!" Yoji grumbled. He got up and stalked to the bathroom... but at the sight of Omi trying to escape from the tangles of towels that had been wrapped about his skinny body and Aya being rubbed like a wet dog as Ken still tried to get the redhead to kneel... he burst out laughing, sinking to the floor as he wrapped his arms around his suddenly hurting, heaving sides. Talk about a lesson of humility. Aya being dried... 

"DIE!" Aya shouted from the bathroom, pitching another towel at Yoji, as Omi whined and began to pout.

"Yoji-kun... help!!!" The pouting looked wide on his big innocent blue eyes. "I can't move... I can't get out of this... help help!"

"I'd love to kid demo..." Yoji went back to laughing. 

Omi pouted harder. With tears of laughter rolling down his cheeks, Yoji made his way to Omi and tried to deliver the kid from his fate. Aya stood, seething. If Ken was in danger the brunette was oblivious to it as he continued... his mothering.

"...Hidaka..." Aya started very slowly.

"It's Ken! It's been Ken for a whole year now!" The younger man snapped. "You have to get out of this coat! I swear it soaks every-..."

"I know that!" Aya growled. "If you could refrain from tugging at my hair... I could go and change!"

Ken blinked suddenly.

Yoji smiled dangerously.

"You know... he is right. Aya after all is a big boy... he knows how to take care of himself." Omi freed from the towels made a face.

"Stop being such a hentai, Yoji!"

"I thought you like being a hentai... kid!" Omi did the only he could do... he pouted. And continued pouting until Yoji gave a crooked smile and went back to teasing a now blushing Ken. And... a still angry Aya who was still waiting to be released. 

Aya grumbled and shook off the towels that Ken had tried inefficiently to wrap around him and slipped from the bathroom as Ken turned to try and throw insults back at the far too practiced Yoji. (As well as other blunt objects from the bathroom, no doubt.)

Aya almost smiled...

"I think I'll go hide now..." Omi mumbled as he tried to run to his room. 

"Wo-oh, kid," Yoji called after him suddenly. "Where do you think you're going."

The tone of Yoji's voice worried Omi just a little. He threw a glance over his shoulder with wide, innocent eyes. "Nani?" He asked fearfully in a small little voice.

Yoji pulled one of his bags off the couch as Ken stepped out the bathroom, still muttering to himself and shaking his head. Yoji lifted the bag with one finger. "I have some clothing you can change into right here!" He suggested with a wide smile.

Behind him, the door opened, making Yoji tense slightly as Ken looked up.

"Maa!!!" The sweet wide eyes that greeted Yoji were as always the polar opposite of the eyes he had gotten to know. Aya's sister stepped through the doorway, pausing for an instant and wrinkling her nose with a huge smile.

Manx stepped through the doorway after her, shutting it behind her.

"Ohayo Aya-chan!" Omi greeted without faltering as Ken glanced at the pair of them, seeming to be making sure they were both quite dry. Since they were quite dry he said nothing more and began picking the towels up.

"Right on time." Yoji smiled. "Omi was going to go first." 

Omi let out a squeak.

"Not fair Yoji!"

"I never like to play fair... it's just not fun if you do. Now go get dressed like the good chibi that you are. Oh and Omi... don't forget to put everything on that's in the bag!"

"I really...don't trust you."

Manx smiled. "I certainly don't blame you, Bombay."

Yoji sent her a dark glare. "Thanks," he muttered, "build the kids confidence why don't you?"

Manx just smiled quite like a contented... cat.

Aya-chan giggled. "Why don't you each try everyone's look at once, then we can compeer."

Yoji's face fell. "Demo... you can't tease them if you're dressed like a freak too!"

"That might be the point." Manx muttered. 

"What if we have solos!"

Manx raised an eyebrow. "I don't think you'll be the one that has to worry about that Yoji."

"Thanks cupcake. Appreciate that one to the core." He dripped in sarcasm but as he swung his bag over his shoulder and started to march towards the stairs, he muttered something over his shoulder... "See if you get an autograph..." 

Omi sighed. "I will take Aya-kun his bag if you have it ready, Yoji-kun?"

Yoji pointed it out and then Omi threw Ken the remaining bag. "Good-luck," he muttered under his breath as the pairs parted.

Omi paused as he passed Aya-chan, glancing into Aya-chan's eyes, and then changing his mind. "Actually, I should get ready, Aya-chan, will you take the bag to A--Ran?"

"Hai!" The girl chirped. He handed her the bag with relief and then went to his room only to open the bag and stare at it's contents in utter terror. 

  
  


~

  
  


Aya glanced up as the door opened, still shaking the water out of his hair and trying to disentangle the few long strands that fell around his face.

Aya-chan glanced around the corner of the door, her dark hair falling around her shoulders as she looked in on her big brother.

Aya blinked.

"Maa, Ran!"

Ran offered his sister a tight smile before he looked away, ran his hands threw his hair a final time.

"Ikaga desu ke?" She asked him sweetly, her voice so innocent... Ran closed his eyes and kept his back to his sister.

"I'm fine, Aya-chan, how are you?" His tone was chilled... he couldn't help it. He couldn't change it.

It was who he was.

And who he never wanted her to see.

His back was turned so he never saw the smile fade and the hurt flare in her eyes. 

"Manx is here. We decided that you guys would try Yoji's clothes first... I can't believe my big brother' s gonna be a pop idol... Ja ne."

Ran threw a glance over his shoulder as she shut the door before he could say anything more.

Before she'd answered his question.

The frown on his face thickened.

Aya sat down on the bed, staring at the cold white wall that was across from him.

He loved her so much...

Aya closed his eyes and placed his face in his hands. There was nothing he could do.

He had wanted her well, for so long, so badly... he had wanted revenge for her and for her alone... and yet...

He had never believed he would ever have her standing, smiling in front of him again, begging him to play...

Now he did.

But through everything, he had become the kind of person that Ran would have wanted nothing more than to protect her from.

How was he supposed to tell those wide innocent eyes what he had become... that he was no longer Ran and hadn't been for... a very long time.

Aya sighed, but his depression seemed to be put on hold, his mood shifting rather dramatically as he turned and dutifully dumped out the bag of clothing that Yoji had sent up for him.

"Kso."

~

  
  


Ken cursed. And cursed again.

I refuse. 

He sat down.

There is no way in hell that I am getting into this. 

He shook his head.

No... no ... there was defiantly no way that I'm getting into... He moaned out loud in distress. 

We're going to die... Wah!!!!

He touched the leather and froze once more... I CAN'T WEAR THIS!!!

  
  


~

  
  


Manx sat back on the couch, lounging back and smiling smugly at the four men before her.

Aya-chan sat blinking... repeatedly--after blushing for a good few minutes.

She had never seen the four of them look so... "Ano..." she said aloud. "Very... nice..."

She glanced at Manx for support.

Manx just continued to smile.

Yoji stood grinning. His clothing actually wasn't entirely different from some of the things that he had chosen to wear in the past. The tight red leather pants were laced up the sides, and made it far too clear how thin he was. And giving just a slight glimpse of the cowboy boots he still wore beneath them.

Aya-chan quite quickly looked away, the blush returning to her cheeks.

The stretchy top that he wore didn't come quite all the way to the line of his pants, but instead left his stomach bare, and to Aya-chan's embarrassment, didn't really leave much to imagine about his chest. However, the dark black suede vest that came down around his hips seemed to accent off the red of his pants and make them rather garishly bright. He stared at them with dangerous green eyes flashing over his sunglasses, his hands on his hips and a frightening smile on his lips.

"Uh... hu..." Manx said simply and turned her gaze to Omi.

The kid looked entirely frightened with his very bright red face.

The most disturbing thing about the entire costume, Aya-chan was quite sure, was the bulky and spiked dog collar that he had tied around his throat. He tugged at it anxiously every once in a while and as often as Aya-chan had seen the look on others, on Omi it was... slightly frightening.

His clothing was tight... very tight... in fact, it was such a contrast to what the poor kid usually wore that Aya-chan had to wonder how exactly he got into it. The costume was entirely in black, and clashed against his-usually-pale skin, the shirt was cut in a strange V-neck and was sleeveless, so over the black leather pants he wore that ended just above clunky military boots.

He kept moving his arms nervously and continually tried to put his hands in his pockets--however, eventually gave up trying to get his hands into the pockets, given there wasn't enough room...

Manx shook her head and just looked away.

Aya was not impressed.

The glare he was sending in Manx's general direction was just barely short of life threatening and his hands were folded across his chest, not giving them an entirely perfect look at what he looked like--however, Manx didn't think it would be particularly wise to ask him to move to give them a better view.

The most startling thing about his outfit was most likely the dark purple colour of the shirt he wore. Manx had never seen Aya in the colour, and for an instant thought perhaps Yoji's taste wasn't as bad as she had always thought... however, one look back at Yoji made her think that the good taste in Aya's shirt had been entirely a fluke.

She shook her head. The colour did bring out his eyes, it however, was rather tight... Manx raised an eyebrow and the shiny black leather vest he had over it was just a tad frightening. The silver zippers that covered it looked entirely for decoration, but Manx had little doubt that it was very uncomfortable and Yoji was very aware of the fact.

His pants were similar to Omi's, and were just as tight, and black, and his boots were also similar. All of the darkness made his hair look just a tad bit frightening in colour.

Manx shook her head and finally let her gaze wander over to Ken.

Ken's face was something like a very angry thunder cloud, and Aya-chan was quite sure it wouldn't take much imagination to place that dark storming cloud just over his head.

"It doesn't have buttons," he snarled, making Aya-chan raise an eyebrow and blush harder.

The shirt he wore was loose, a baggy sort with short sleeves and a fascinating pattern running through the darkness. It did however, appear to lack buttons, so that it fell around his sides, but left him bare-chested.

The anger in Ken's face was quite apparent.

The black suede pants that he wore were just as tight as the other threes, and he looked just as uncomfortable as Aya and Omi.

Manx let her gaze wander over him and a disturbing smile slipped over her lips. "I thought the boys would have seen quite enough of you this morning, but it appears not..."

Ken's face flamed.

"Nani?" Aya-chan inquired, glancing at the smug look on Yoji's face and the blush that had filled Omi's face as well.

"Never mind." Aya's voice was threatening as he glared at Yoji.

Yoji just continued to grin contentedly, laughing softly.

"Can we be done... please?" Omi asked. "We... I mean... I know I couldn't sing with this dog collar on me... This is really..." There were no words to describe how wrong the outfits were. 

And how the outfit made him feel.

So incredibly dirty.

How could anyone dress in such tight clothes?

Manx nodded. "Go change... into Ken's choice of clothing." Ken smiled and Omi's heart sank. 

(At least I'll be able to breath and move around again....)

But he had a sinking feeling that he might go blind with the color choices Ken might provide them. 

He sighed and let someone hand him in a bag.

This was a very long day. 

  
  


~

  
  


Fifteen minutes later, the guys came back into the room and Aya-chan breathed out in relief. These outfits wouldn't make her blush at least. 

She glanced at her brother's face and saw that it had relaxed a bit... and he didn't seem so close to strangling anyone anymore. Omi was smiling... but then... he almost always was smiling, Yoji was frowning...

She stopped staring at their faces and tried to concentrate on the outfits. 

"We're singers... not soccer players!" Yoji muttered bitterly. 

"Aa... singers Yoji... we're not whores either!" Ken snapped rather cheerfully.

Aya-chan's eyes widened as she realized that indeed... all of them were in soccer outfits. Omi was in a blue soccer shirt that kind of glimmered but was loose around his small body.

Yoji had been given a green soccer shirt with a orange and white stripe on the stomach. Aya had white... with black stripes and a club name written in the front rather then the back like the other's shirts had.

The brunette... obviously in his natural habitat... was running around them in a black shirt with white lettering. It wasn't too bad of a choice... comparatively until you got to the short white soccer shorts. And that was just wrong.

She'd never seen her brother in shorts... and now she understood why no guy who weren't exactly... high in self confidence would go around walking in those things. They were short!

She wondered about Ken sometimes. 

Yet... Manx had said that he had a girlfriend... hadn't he?

Still...

She gave a side ways glance towards Manx. 

"Chicken legs." The woman muttered in horror. "Doesn't he ever eat?" 

"Chicken legs?" Aya-chan asked. "Ran?" Manx looked at her surprised. 

"What? Your brother? Chicken legs? No... he's well proportioned. It's that beast... Yoji... Get some pants on!" 

  
  


~

  
  


Manx had to say that she was pleasantly surprised with the next group of clothing. It was probably the most promising that they had had before them yet.

She was not sure however, how Aya expected them to look like singers.

Aya was the first to return. He was again dressed in black, but this time he had on a dark black turtle neck and a black sports jacket, surprisingly enough, they seemed to work over the black jeans he'd replaced those god awful shorts with.

Manx nodded approvingly and Aya-chan offered him a smile.

Aya shrugged and leaned back into the wall.

Manx turned her attention to Omi. He wore light khakis that clashed slightly with the darkness of Aya beside him. He was dressed in pale colours, above the khakis he wore a long sleeved white shirt that was fairly form fitting, but nothing like Yoji had put the poor kid through.

In truth, he looked rather... sophisticated.

Aya-chan raised an eyebrow and gave him an especially sweet smile.

He blushed slightly and looked away.

Aya-chan, blushed herself and glanced over at Ken.

Ken was most likely, of the three of them that had come down so far, the most dressed up. He some how seemed to manage to look strangely messy while at the same time looking almost as sophisticated as Omi. He had on a white dress shirt, but he had the top three buttons undone, leaving it loose around his throat, and keeping him from looking too business like in the black dress pants and sports jacket he had on.

It looked good.

Manx glanced around at all of them and smiled slightly. She nodded, but then glanced around again.

"Where's Yoji?"

Aya-chan glanced at her brother, concern slipping over her features as she saw his lips twitch.

However, when he glanced up to meet Manx's eyes, there was absolutely no glint of humor on his face. "He might be having a little trouble with the ruffles."

Manx blinked.

Aya-chan blinked.

From upstairs they heard a slight baritone scream before it was followed by a string of loud cursing.

Aya-chan glanced at her brother and raised an eyebrow, and he met her gaze and for about three breaths, he let himself smile, before he looked away and focused his expression once more.

Aya-chan almost got up to cross to him, almost got up to hug him... but thought better of it. At least her brother hadn't lost his sense of humor entirely.

She glanced at Omi and the pair of them shared a smile.

The first thing they saw on the stairs was very large platform dance shoes...

Omi promptly moved to hide behind Manx.

The suit Yoji had on made Yoji's taste look half way decent. It was ancient, and Manx couldn't help wondering where on earth Aya had been able to find such a thing. The suit itself was black, but the cut didn't seem quite right, giving it a kind of rustic feel. The most disturbing thing however was the large, puffy, ruffly, yellow dress shirt he had on beneath the black suit. On top of the grotesquely coloured shirt, he had on a massive velvet bowtie.

He stood at the bottom of the stairs as the five pairs of eyes stared at him and four heads sweat dropped.

"AYA!!!!!" Yoji's eyes widened even more as he saw the very tasteful outfits the other three had on. Ken immediately retreated behind the couch and Omi sat down very carefully between Manx and Aya-chan, hoping for their protection.

"AAAAAYYYYYAAAAA!!!"

Aya-chan blinked and sunk back into the couch as Manx began to laugh.

He gave her an evil look before turning on Aya, his voice reverberating as each word was drawn out and his arms were raised threateningly again. "Youuu maakke me loookkk like aaannn aasssss!!!!"

From the sanctuary of the couch, Omi blinked and scratched his head. "Demo, Yoji-kun, that's not very hard..."

Silence. For about two seconds... the silence stretched as Yoji's eyes bulged. The older man turned to face the youngest Weiss members and the rage that had been glinting in his eyes didn't waver as they focused no longer on Aya but onto Omi. 

"Chibi.... you only say that to show off to your little girlfriend here!" Yoji snapped his voice quite low as he waved towards Aya-chan's suddenly very small form as she tried to sink into the couch. Omi blinked and opened his mouth in surprise at the attack. 

"NANI?" 

The question was ignored though as Aya's penetrating glare started to burn at Yoji's back. The older man froze.... sensing the near death and turned slowly. He yelped at the sight of Aya's glowering form. "Eeeps!" Yoji dove to the stairs. "I didn't mean your precious little sister... I meant Manx... You know the kid's a hentai! Help!"

"Nani?' Omi asked again, confused. "Manx?" He closed his eyes and shook his head in disgust. "That's... eh..."

"Excuse me... does liking me mean that you have to be a hentai?" Manx asked quite primly as she observed her nails. "No wonder I never liked that chicken legged man." 

Yoji whined and took another step backwards as Aya began to advance on him, still unforgiving for the slight jab towards his sisters pure innocence.

"I think we should all change... I think we should all change now!"

Yoji grabbed one of the bags Omi had placed by the stairs and retreated.

Omi shook his head and placed his head in his hands.

"Well, then," Manx said sweetly, "I suppose you should all change into the clothing that Omi has chosen for you, following the large hentai's example." She shook her head sadly and turned to Aya-chan. "I wouldn't let what the baka say's bother you dear, he's always like that." The very deeply blushing Aya-chan nodded simply, but didn't look up.

Omi got up from the couch rather quickly to retrieve the other bags, unable to avoid the odd look Aya sent him. It was not threatening, nor dangerous... merely weighing.

But it disturbed Omi more than anything.

He shook his shoulders and handed the other two the bags. "Sumi masen, this shouldn't take long," he muttered and retreated from the room a final time.

  
  


~

  
  


Aya sighed as he wearily made his way down the stairs once again. At least this time... like the last time... he felt comfortable in the clothes that he had been given. He'd been surprised actually as he had peered into the bag that Omi had given him. It hadn't been the type of clothing he had imagined the eighteen year old choosing. The purple button down shirt was efficient and comfortable... The black pants were like the pants he was used to wearing. He entered the room and gave a little shake of his head. He wouldn't mind the day being over soon. 

Omi sat on the chair backwards, his legs dangling on either side as his chin rested on the top of the wooden surface. The blue eyes met his for a moment before they looked away with a slight unsure smile. The kid wore something like what he usually wore, but just a tad more... formal. That wasn't the right word to describe it exactly but Aya couldn't pinpoint the right word to use. It was a dark blue shirt with a smaller v- neck collar than on the shirt that Yoji had made him wore. His pants were black and of the same material as Aya's. A dark colored sweater was wrapped around his waist. 

"Yoji seems to be having trouble getting out of his suit." Ken muttered making all eyes turn to him as he entered the room.

"It's only what he deserves." Aya muttered quietly. Ken's green eyes widened curiously at that comment and so the nineteen year old made his way closer to Aya. 

"What's that supposed to mean?" He asked. Aya arched an eyebrow and left it at that. 

Manx made an approving noise at the sight of Ken's outfit. He had on the same pants and she figured Yoji would be wearing them too. But his shirt was a white tank top that was covered by a dark burgundy button up shirt that stayed unbuttoned. He blushed at the approval and lost his focus on questioning Aya about the subtle comment he had made minutes before. Omi blew his hair out of his face and then sighed. 

"I don't think this choosing clothes for band members works Manx-san." He muttered, "We don't even have a group name... or music?" He let the statement die off into a question as he saw the smile that was forming on her red lips. His heart started to plummet into his stomach. "I..." 

"Not bad chibi!" Yoji muttered, strolling in. Manx nodded. She had been right. Yoji had on the same black pants the others were wearing. The shirt was a bit similar to Omi shirt in the fact that it was v-necked. The sleeves though were long and the color was a light tan, seeming to bring out Yoji's tan. 

On his nose, were the sunglasses, perched back on their usual place. And his smile was happy and rid of the annoyance that had been there before. 

"I like your taste... not as good as mine demo... it'll do quite nicely." Yoji continued. Omi picked his head up and turned to face him in surprise. 

"I don't know about that..." He started in a doubtful voice. 

"A mix of your taste and Aya's taste is absolutely perfect! Scratch Yoji's yellow suit of course!" Manx muttered. Aya-chan nodded. 

"You guys really look good this way and... more natural." 

"Like a group." Manx finished. "Well we got that out of the way." She stood up and gave a little stretch. "Now tomorrow at eight o'clock sharp... in the morning Yoji, you guys will have your first singing lesson. It will determine your voice ranges and your ability to stay in tune... No cracking computer screens anymore Ken-kun. Also they will test your ability to play instruments... if any of you can even play or learn to play one. Once we determine that... we'll figure out a group name and what music you guys will be performing. We're hoping for the first concert to be in 2-3 months time. See you all in the morning." She started to leave but paused. "Aya-chan?" She asked with her eyebrow arched. The girl got up from the couch and moved to follow her. She smiled as she went, saying her good-byes/goodnights to each of them in turn and paused as she reached her brother to give him a quick hug before he could evade it. 

Aya was left there to gape at the two as they left. "W-..." This was not going to work. Why couldn't Manx see that!?

Omi stared at Aya speculatively for a long moment before shaking his head and turning away. After what Yoji had said, he wasn't sure he wanted to talk to Aya one on one. He shrugged.

"I'm sorry if you guys didn't like the clothes, I chose, I didn't think she would pick for us to wear them," he muttered.

"Don't be ridiculous," Yoji snapped at him and slapped Aya on the back. "Your taste is better than Aya's here and hey, this is going to be a blast, so what do you guys care what we're wearing. See you in the morning."

Omi stared at Yoji as he turned his back on Aya and started to walk away, even as Omi contemplated the thought of Aya turning around and biting him.

Omi stifled a smile and said his good-nights, slipping up the stairs behind Yoji.

Silence settled in the living room for a long moment, a kind of awkwardness in the air until Ken retrieved his soccer ball from the floor. "Well, good-night I guess. See you in the morning."

For a long moment Aya didn't respond. He stood in the middle of the living room floor, still in the clothing Omi had chosen for him and he let Ken get almost to the top of the stairs.

"Hidaka..." He called out finally, Ken glanced down, ready to scold Aya for the use of his last name, but something of the look in Aya's eyes stopped him. "I'm sorry about Yuriko."

Then Aya turned and walked the other way before Ken could respond.

Ken stood on the stairs a long time before he shook his head and went to his room.

Below the three of them, Aya slowly moved around the house, shutting off the lights and locking the doors.

He came to rest in the living room once again, and with the moonlight which had broken through the cloud cover above, he slowly slipped the sheet music from the bag he had left by the couch.

In the dark, he sat down and stared.


	6. Life's Solo

Chapter Six: Life's Solo

  
  


In spite of his enthusiasm the night before, Yoji was not particularly pleased with the early morning when it came. The alarm clock went off waaaaaay too early, and the annoying Chibi was in his room bouncing around and opening curtains, and and...

Now Yoji sat at the kitchen table across from Aya, who simply sat drinking his coffee as every morning. Yoji sat with the coffee in his hands, already on his third cup and feeling no more awake. "I. Hate. Morning."

Aya glanced at him from the corner of his eye, but didn't dignify that comment with a response.

"Aw, come on Yoji, mornings are pretty," Omi said with a grin.

Yoji glared at him. "Die."

Aya glanced up and raised an eyebrow.

Yoji made a face at him and slugged back the rest of his cup of coffee before reaching for more.

"Hey everyone." Ken came in joyfully, almost more hyper than the chibi if that was possible. It was quite sickening actually. Yoji grunted a response while Aya flipped to next page of the newspaper he was reading. Omi smiled at Ken but didn't say anything as he continued to eat his cereal. The nineteen year old sat down after he had grabbed an apple and began to munch on it. His soccer ball was resting on his lap as breakfast continued. 

"Are you taking that with you?' Omi asked, his bowl finished. He got up and went to place it in the sink, filling it with water. 

"Huh?" Ken asked.

"The soccer ball, Ken-kun... the soccer ball." Omi pointed, shutting the faucet off. 

"No." Ken answered softly. "I can't... I'm taking my motorcycle to get there."

"Oh..." There was a short silence. "Could you take me?" Omi asked suddenly. Aya and Yoji looked up. 

"Sure." Ken smiled. 

Aya didn't say anything, but from the look he gave Omi, Omi couldn't help feeling that he had interrupted the red heads plans some how.

"If that's okay with you guys..." Omi added cautiously, not sure how to interpret the older men's reactions.

"Meh," Yoji grumbled, reaching up for another cup of coffee. "It is too early to care."

Aya shrugged, "Fine." He hadn't thought they would split up, but if Ken and Omi were headed out together, that would likely mean that he and Yoji would go on their own as well, which might not make sense economically, but he wasn't going to complain.

"All right." Omi muttered... not totally relieved but not sure what to say that would make up for whatever he had done that hadn't been quite... right? He sighed and glanced at the kitchen clock. "When are we leaving Ken-kun?"

"Ten minutes..." The brunette answered, taking a last bite of apple. "I'll call... when I'm ready." He muttered, licking his fingers. Omi nodded. 

"I'll be in my room, then."

Aya looked at his watch before folding up the paper and tossing it back on the table. "I wouldn't be late, Yoji," he advised before standing and heading for the garage.

"MEH!" Came the grumbling response.

  
  


~

  
  


"This had better be quick," Yoji muttered angrily. "I really have to piss."

Aya glared at Yoji and shook his head, looking away and folding his arms over his chest before leaning back into the wall across from the room in front of them.

He had arrived a good ten minutes early, where as Yoji had been a good ten minutes later, however, the teacher had yet to put in an appearance.

"Well," Omi placed in simply, curled up in one of the two chairs that were available in the hallway, Yoji sprawled in the other beside him. "You shouldn't have been drinking so much coffee. You know it's not good for you.. or your bladder."

Since there was no reply that wouldn't bruise his dignity further, Yoji just grumbled and crossed his legs together. 

"Why don't you just go to the bathroom?" Ken asked, from his sitting spot on the floor at Omi's side. "The teacher isn't here yet."

"Oh will you show me the way, Ken-kun?" Yoji snapped! " I haven't been here before...and it's a freaking maze..." 

"It's your third door on the right," Aya said simply.

Omi blinked, and discreetly moved as far from Yoji as he could get in his chair.

Ken blinked.

"WHHAATTT???"

Aya looked at him calmly and raised an inquisitive eyebrow.

"I've been sitting here the last ten minutes complaining about it and you knew all this time?!?!!?!?" His voice was strained and his eyes were wide as he threw himself to his feet.

"You really shouldn't be screaming if you have to go, Yoji-kun," Omi advised quietly from his side of the chair, wincing as Yoji turned a glare on him.

"ARGH!"

The older man stomped off down the hallway.

"The third door on the right... in the other direction." Aya muttered moving finally from his wall and letting himself actually sit on the chair that Yoji had been occupying. Omi's blue eyes widened as the comment clicked in. 

"Poor Yoji..." Omi muttered, settling back into a more comfortable position. Ken just barked a laugh. Aya made no farther comment, his mind already very far away. He was nervous...

He checked his watch again, and glared down the hallway in search of some sign for the teacher or Manx.

It was the time the they had told them to be there... it was twenty minutes past the time she had told them to be there... Aya scowled as he folded his arms over his chest again. It was unlike Manx to be late. And it wasn't exactly what he assumed the first impression a teacher would like to give, being late for their first lesson.

If he had to wait much longer, Aya was quite sure he wasn't going to be able to keep himself from getting up and walking away from the whole damn thing.

He bit off the sigh that had been building in his chest as the footsteps in the hallway grew.

Yoji came stomping back.

"It was NOT the third door on the right, you ignorant ass!!" He screamed at Aya.

"Yoji-kun," Omi chided, shaking his head. "Screaming not good for bladders..."

Yoji turned on him. "And you shut up you over intelligent child!"

Omi blinked, then couldn't help the grin that spread over his lips, seeing the way Yoji was coming very close to dancing on the spot.

"Actually, had you been listening, Aya did say that the bathroom was the third door on the right, in the other direction," Omi pointed out.

Yoji's face grew redder. "You couldn't have told me that before I left?!" He snapped.

Omi shrugged widening his eyes still more. "Well, I'm just a child, I didn't think it was my place to interfere."

Yoji let out a threatening growl.

"Actually--" Manx placed in as she stepped up to Yoji, giving Aya a dangerous look. "The men's bathroom is the third door on the left. The women's is the third door on the right."

Yoji threw a glance at Aya that could have killed which Aya returned blandly, his expression never changing as Ken laughed again from the other side of Omi.

Yoji growled at him too. "And you... you..." He threw his hand up. "Jock!" He stalked away down the hallway.

Ken scratched his head, staring at Yoji's retreating back. "Is that supposed to insulting?"

Manx gave a sigh. "It doesn't matter." She muttered a tad impatient. "Your teacher..." She moved a step over and revealed a man in his mid thirties. "Kuniaki-sensei..." Then she moved away and went back from where she had come from, throwing only three words over her shoulder before disappearing. "Good luck boys."

Aya stood respectfully as the teacher nodded to each of them in turn, throwing a glance over his shoulder in the direction that Yoji had disappeared into. Omi stood as well, holding back a sigh at the thought that he would actually have to begin this now, actually have to try.

He almost let loose a whine. What had he been thinking!?

Omi shook his head, and tossed the hair out of his face before bowing slightly. "Ohayo-goasai masu sensei."

The sensei looked slightly startled. "Ohayo," he responded, then he turned to Aya, apparently picking up on the fact that he was older than the other two. "How did you plan on working this."

Aya raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.

"We had no plans," Omi placed in.

The teacher frowned slightly, scratched at the back of his head and looking perplexed. "I've actually never tried to teach students to be a group before, so I'm not entirely sure how to go about this. It's an unusual thing that I've been asked to do. So... would you all like to work at this as a group first thing, or try out separately?"

"Separately," Aya supplied coolly before the question had even really registered in Omi's mind.

Omi shrugged, he wasn't really about to disagree.

Ken seemed rather oblivious to the entire exchange, though he was watching them from a distance. He had no input and continued to watch contentedly.

"I don't suppose any of you have any musical training at all?" The teacher asked, sounding discouraged.

Omi glanced at Aya, expecting him to say something.

He didn't.

The teacher sighed and then set his shoulders back. "all right then, I'll take you in one at a time and we'll try things out. I want to test your range see your abilities and try and figure just how much work this is going to take." He sighed again and then dug the keys out of his pocket, opening the door to the music room.

After that was done, the man turned to look at them again, his brown eyes weary even before the task had started. "Who wants to go first?" Aya sat back down. The teacher looked towards Omi. The eighteen year old opened his mouth but then thought better of it. It's now or never. He thought a bit bitterly. 

"I'll go." He said as cheerfully as he could. He entered through the open door and waited for further instructions.

"Take a seat near the piano." Omi did as he was told. The teacher shut the door behind him, startling Omi. For a moment, Omi's eyes narrowed as he observed how the man moved. "Sit up straight. Don't round your shoulders and sit at the edge of the seat." There was pause as Omi tried to fix his seating. "That'll do for now." The teacher sat on the piano stool. "We're going to start by relaxation..." He muttered after having observed Omi for a long while. 

"Relaxation?"

"Yes... do these stretches..." The man did them first letting Omi observe before doing them in turn. The various moves stretched out his shoulder and neck muscles. He wasn't quite sure it had relaxed him but he didn't say anything as the teacher went back to talking.

"The next thing we should probably do is test your lung capacity. It'll help get you warmed up for when we start to sing."

Omi blinked at him. Lung capacity? It sounded slightly intimidating.

"What I want you to do," the man began, then paused. "Well, first, stand up." Omi almost hopped out of his seat, standing on his feet immediately and startling the teacher in turn.

The teacher suddenly offered him a slight smile. "Relax, kid, this doesn't hurt."

Omi smiled tensely, but nodded.

"Spread your feet a little further apart and then just stand naturally."

Omi nodded and did as he was told.  
"Okay," the teacher said, nodding. "Now I want you to take a deep breath, fill your lungs completely and then count, slowly. Something like One one thousand, two one thousand, or however you want to count it, and go as high as you can in one breath."

"Oy..." Omi muttered. (That doesn't sound too hard... but I have a bad feeling about this...) He took a deep breath and started. "One one thousand, two one thousand, three one thousand, four one thousand..." (Nothing to it.) Omi almost wanted to breath out in relief... (This is easy.) "Ten one thousand, eleven one thousand, twelve one thousand, thirteen one thousand..." (This could get a little boring though... is singing like this???) "Twenty three one thousand, twenty four one thousand, twenty five one thousand, twenty six one thousand, twenty seven one thousand... twenty eight one thousand..." It didn't hurt exactly... but it didn't feel quite as comfortable and easy as it had been before. He almost... no he wanted to start counting faster but he had a feeling that would defeat the purpose. Suddenly he wondered if he was doing something wrong. Was this enough... "Thirty one one thousand... thirty two one thousand..." He stopped and took a breath. (Kso... That was bad... I know it was... )

The teacher sat very still, blinking at him.

(Kso,) Omi thought again. (I knew it... this is entirely hopeless...) He winced in preparation for what the teacher would say.

"Well... then..." The teacher began. "I guess we have no problems there..." He still looked startled.

Omi blinked. "Nani?"

The teacher shook his head. "That's really impressive kid. Most people when they start are lucky to get to twelve or thirteen at the rate you were counting. I can only get up to twenty five and I've been practicing for years!" 

"You mean... I did good?" Omi blinked... "oh." He added as the teacher nodded to his startled exclamation. 

"Ready for the next step?" The teacher asked. "Are you thirsty?" 

Omi nodded to both questions. A bottle of water was suddenly pressed into his hands. Omi said his thanks and uncapped the bottle before taking a short swallow. He waited for what was going to come next. 

"We're going to do warm ups now... a little test of range..." 

"First what I want you to do is just hum the note that I'm going to play." The teacher struck a note on the piano, and waited.

"Just hum?" Omi asked, still feeling strange and just a little bit awkward. That seemed to simple... However, his achievement on the breathing had given him a little more self confidence.

The teacher nodded and struck the note on the piano again, humming it himself.

Omi hummed it but when he heard the sound he gave a little cough. "Gomen." He blushed and fidgeted a bit as he stayed standing.

"I don't bite. And I certainly won't insult you... Just hum and relax. If it helps imagine you're all alone in this room." He struck the next note. 

Omi cleared his throat again and tried to match his own hum to the note he heard. (Just like singing to the radio...) This time he hit it, though his voice was barely audible over the resonance of the piano.

The teacher nodded encouragingly and struck another note, a little higher up.

Omi felt his eyebrow raise as he tried to reach for it and he saw a frown flash over the teachers face and Omi stopped immediately.

"No, no," the teacher said, "keep going." He struck another note, a little lower down, and Omi tried again, finding he didn't feel as though he had to stretch quite so far.

The teacher nodded.

And so it continued.

  
  


~

  
  


Yoji stuck his head out from the now open door. "You horrendous beasts who I right now despise can come in." He growled still very angry. "Buffoons..." He muttered as Ken walked past him. He stopped holding the door and Omi squawked as he had to catch it before it closed on him. 

"Thanks Yoji." Omi muttered while he held the door for Aya who barely nodded in acknowledgment. He let the door close and rubbed his wrist to soothe the pain out. 

Aya stayed standing even when the teacher beckoned all of them to sit. So... now was the end of this ridiculous thing. It almost felt like judgment day. 

Would any of them pass?

The teacher had each tested them but hadn't given them any clue to what their ranges were like and how they sounded... if there was any hope for them at all. (It's not like I care to know.) He thought brusquely. The teacher arched an eyebrow in annoyance towards him.

"Well, I must say that this went better than I thought it would," he announced unexpectedly. "I can see now why they were planning this, and why you want to do this group thing together."

Omi raised startled eyes and Yoji let go of his anger, and grinned. "I knew it," he laughed and the teacher glanced at him for a second before very quickly looking away and clearing his throat.

"In any case. You're all going to take quite a bit of work, but not as much as I was expecting and you have the potential for some fairly impressive ranges." He shrugged. "Most of you anyway." He shook his head and made a point of not looking at Yoji. "I guess the best way to continue from here would be merely to start meeting for regular lessons. We're supposed to do this as quickly as possible however, so I'm hoping we'll be able to do this in a couple of months. We'll have two single lessons a week and a group lesson in between, hopefully to teach you harmonies... or... well," he glanced at Yoji again. "We'll see."

"I suppose I can work with you two together as well," he mentioned pointing at Omi and Ken. "You're both most definitely going to be tenors... where as I suppose you'll be a baritone," he mentioned to Aya. He glanced at Yoji finally. "And I... suppose... we can hope you'll become a base."

Omi thought he saw the faintest flicker of a smile flash across Aya's lips before his blank expression replaced it once more.

He actually, had no idea what the teacher had just said. Omi did the only thing he could think of. Tentatively, he raised his hand. "Ano... Kuniaki-sensei, what exactly does that mean?"

"Oh," The teacher responded, looking surprised. "It's just where your range falls in a spectrum." Omi raised an eyebrow, looking just more confused. The teacher sighed. "Basically, it means how low and how high you can sing. You and your friend there have fairly high voices so that's why you're considered tenors. I was actually very impressed by your range." He pointed to Ken and Omi chuckled as he saw Yoji look suddenly very jealous. "You'll be able to hit some fairly decent notes in the top range, so I guess we'll have to try and work that in."

Ken beamed.

"You should try telling that to Omi's computer monitor," Yoji muttered darkly and Ken blushed as he threw an angry glance over his shoulder at the now pouting Yoji.

"Aya-san here has a much lower voice, so he can hit the lower range, however, because he seems to have some training, he's also able to stretch his range into higher octaves. Considering everything, I think you're going to be able to put together a decent mesh of voices..." He glanced at Yoji again. "I hope."

Omi nodded finally. "Hai, all right, I hope we'll be able to do this well."

The teacher smiled at him and nodded. "You'll do fine," he said encouragingly. "Now, I'll let that woman know exactly when we should set up for our weekly lessons, and... have you all chosen any music to actually sing?"

The four of them glanced at each other.

"Iya." Aya supplied, his voice still cold.

The teacher raised an eyebrow. "You might want to do that."

"I'm sure it will be provided," Aya said icily, making the teacher's eyes widen slightly.

Omi glanced between the pair of them and thought he could almost feel the tension rising in the air. He got to his feet quickly. "Arigatou, sensei, we will see you again very soon, I guess."

The teacher nodded. "Ano... hai, I suppose you will. It was a pleasure to meet you all. Until then. Bai bai."

With that he got up and walked away.

Without a word, Yoji got up, grumbling and followed him, no doubt heading back to the parking lot to make his way back to bed.

Ken grinned and jumped to his feet. "Did you hear that? I have an impressive range. Ha! Jock, my ass. Now I can sing too!"

Omi shook his head as Aya raised an eyebrow.

"You coming Omi?" Ken asked as he headed for the door.

Omi gave Aya a glance before turning to follow Ken. "Hai!"

With that they left the room.

  
  



	7. In A Songs Embrace

Chapter Seven: In a Songs Embrace

  
  


Aya glanced around the room. 

(Why does this feel comfortable?) 

It seemed so strange to be standing here, listening to something... doing something that he hadn't done in so long. It seemed to be... it was the past. The past should not be touched again.

(Why does it feel like home?)

It was a cruel feeling. Being placed back here... being left with no defense whatsoever... why did they have to be good? Why did this have to be one of their options for a new future? His eyes rested on the piano. It's black painting shining with the light. 

(I should go.)

But he couldn't make himself leave. It was home... one that he hadn't thought he'd be able to come back to. All the times when he'd played... for Aya... for his mom and dad. How could they expect him to come back to all of this?

(Because they don't know... that's why.)

He took a step back. It was time to go. He had to leave before the memory became to strong.

He had to...

His foot took a step forward instead. And before he knew it he was sitting.

They'd never had a grand. Their piano had been small, dull with chipping keys and some notes that had never worked... yet the one that sat before him now was something beautiful, sleek surface untouched and seemingly never used.

It was new...

And it did nothing but bring with it feelings of what was old... He could close his eyes...

Aya's hands for one moment lingered just above the keys, dancing in the air, but never pressing hard enough to be able to bring sound into his silence, to bring the memories to life with the bringing of a song.

It had been so long...

He was quite sure there was nothing he remembered...

Yet, as if to prove himself wrong, he brought both his hands above the keys and slowly, began to press them down.

It was slow at first, soft as his feet found the pedals almost subconsciously. It was familiar.

So different, and yet so similar...

The movements were forever in his control, as he played what brought out a song. He still remembered how Aya-chan had sat in her place on the piano bench and banged away at the keys, the delicacy of the instruments nature lost under the abuse, and yet as he sat there...

The tone was delicate, and the piano responded to his touch.

It was at his command...

It was like dancing...

It was like fighting...

Aya closed his eyes.

Slowly, the familiar tune he knew began to morph, it began to slip from one to the other as the keys made themselves known to him again, and everything came rushing back in exactly the way he had never wanted to feel it again.

He remembered.

The rendition of Pachabell's Cannon in D that had been slowly filling the air began to become steadily more elaborate. The tune seemed to pick up more speed as Aya began to place notes in between the ones that were written on the page of music in his mind. He accented the notes as his fingers seemed to dance over the ivory keys.

From the doorway, Omi blinked wide blue eyes.

He'd forgotten something and had turned back, his footsteps making a gentle tapping sound as he hurried back. It was the music that had made him pause... it was the music that had made his eyes widened. He let himself enter the room... the magic... hoping that he wouldn't destroy the image that was before him.

Omi stared.

He never would have thought... He blinked, and slowly sank down into one of the chairs that was just inside the doorway... staring.

It was not so much what was being done... it was... the beauty of the music that seemed to take over the air and live so heavily that Omi could breathe it into his lungs.

But Aya...

It was his expression.

Omi swallowed hard.

He had seen concerts on television, and he had even known those who could play as well in his school. That would show off their talent during the talent shows that were organized or play for fund-raisers, and yet... Aya...

He had always been so empty and so entirely cold... so dark...

It was the expression that had slipped onto his face as he played that kept Omi frozen where he had stopped.

The slightly older man's eyes were still closed, and his eyebrows were drawn together in a gentle frown, concentration masking the pleasure on his face as his hands seemed to move effortlessly, thoughtlessly to bring the melody forth. Expression...

The coldness of Aya's mask had shattered and it left him broken, the pain open in his features as he rocked gently with the rhythm of the music.

The music had filled him and had taken over. He didn't know how or even understood why... he just... was. 

And for that moment that was all that mattered.

They just were.

The final notes were soft, barely audible against the crescendo that had been placed directly before them. But Aya let the last notes fade, the very last chords broken and lasting, like a wave crossing the keys and striking each in turn.

Silence fell.

Aya didn't open his eyes, and his hands never left the keys.

Omi swallowed hard, his lips parting, not sure if he could call out the greeting that come automatically into his throat, his hands twitching at his sides to bring them together in an applause he knew he shouldn't give.

Aya's hands wavered over the keys for only an instant more before they began to fall again.

It was gentle and something entirely different from the classical piece that had taken hold in the air moments before. The movements of Aya's fingers were quick, almost desperate, and rapid, but the melody they produced was haunting, delicate... and it seemed to be slow. The repetitive nature of the notes brought out a darkness in them that seemed to take over, and show just how soft the quickness of them could be. It was a contradiction and it was a contradiction that drove the song. It continued, the melody stretching onward, only slight variations taking over the keys as slowly Aya brought up his left hand and began to meld the chords that he hadn't been playing before.

He ran his fingers up the keys, bringing with it a tenseness, an expectation as Omi sat, waiting for something to happen, waiting for the melody to take hold, waiting for... anything.

Aya's right hand continued its unending melody as the left traveled down over the keys again, dragging the tension down and leaving what happened the last thing Omi expected.

Aya paused, a chord beginning to fade into nothing for the briefest instant before he began again...

Aya parted his lips and began to sing.

  
  


"Convinced of my deception

I've always been a fool

I fear this love reaction

Just like you said I would

A rose could never lie

About the love it brings

And I could never promise

To be any of those things"

  
  


His voice was soft, quiet in the stillness of the melody, but it rose above the piano, and the words were clear, his voice deep.

  
  


"If I was not so weak

If I was not so cold

If I was not so scared of being broken

Growing old

I would be...

I would be..."

  
  


The pause between the words was barely noticeable, the distinction between verse and chorus melding into a never ending oneness that made it all all right. The pause in the movement of his hands dangerous, threatening, as though there was that slight instant where he might not be able to continue... It was haunting, and...

  
  


"Blessed are the shallow

The depth they'll never find

Seems to be some comfort

In rooms I try to hide

Exposed beyond the shadows

You take the cup from me"

  
  


So... so true.

  
  


"Your dirt removes my blindness

Your pain becomes my peace"

  
  


Omi sat with his knees drawn to his chin and his arms wrapped tightly around his legs, his eyes wide as he watched the expression, the truth... emotion...

Every note hurt.

  
  


"If I was not so weak"

  
  


After everything that they had been through together...

  
  


"If I was not so cold

If I was not so scared of being broken"

  
  


How could he truly believe...

  
  


"Growing old

I would be..."

  
  


The pause in his words was stretched, it dragged among the melody as he paused, as he waited and Aya swallowed hard between the words, the song beginning to make it difficult for Omi to breathe.

  
  


"I would..."

  
  


It was truth and it lay in the air, the piano key's responding to each touch, and his voice...

  
  


"I would be...

Frail."

  
  


The music continued, washing through the air, even as he fell silent, even as Aya's words were completed...

It was getting difficult to breathe... Omi closed his eyes.

All at once, everything stopped, the spell that had been woven was shattered as the silence crashed down around them, a physical thing that seemed to take over and destroy everything that had been.

Omi's eyes snapped open as Aya stopped.

He opened his eyes to stare directly into Aya's dark violet gaze.

Their eyes met and each of them froze.

The silence was so painful now... 

What could be said...? 

The violet eyes didn't waver... the mask had been replaced over the pale features. 

(Why...?)

Omi took in a ragged breath.

(Say something... please...)

They never wavered. Never changed. Whatever he had seen... was a lost illusion...

(Anything... to make it real again.)

But the silence continued and he couldn't breathe. 

"I'm sorry." He shattered it. Just like he had shattered whatever had been Aya's release. He'd broken it. "I'm sorry..." (I'd forgotten... something...) Omi got up. And blindly he walked away. 

Aya sat frozen on the piano bench staring after him in the silence.

What had just happened?

He'd been alone... ready to leave... and then...Aya shook his head. It was time to go. He rose, and without glancing back he left the memories behind as he closed the door to the music room. And the past.

  
  



	8. Ways of the World

Chapter Eight: Ways of the World

  
  


"Mission report... Bombay. Abyssinian..." Omi paused in his typing trying to work out the images left behind out of his head. This couldn't be personal. "...Having trouble adjusting to new plan. Needs to be dealt with." He could end it there. Manx would understand.

She had no choice. 

He clicked the send button. 

It was done.

  
  


~

  
  


Manx came in, no longer bothering to knock after all this time. She had a vague feeling that she would find the redhead either in the solitary confines of his room or the darkness of the basement room. Whichever would be fitting to his mood at the moment. 

It actually suited her needs at the moment, because either room would give them the space to talk it out without having additional visitors. A shadow moved and she turned her head to find Omi sitting on the kitchen counter looking at her in a serious contemplative manner. He gave a brief smile that didn't reach his eyes. 

"He's in the basement." He muttered before jumping off and walking up the stairs. 

He didn't say anything more, but brushed passed her without glancing up and without saying his usual good-bye.

Manx glanced after him and a frown crossed her features. (Abyssinian is having trouble...) She raised an eyebrow, and couldn't help wondering exactly how much Omi hadn't said this time.

She shook her head and turned back to the basement, strolling across the kitchen floor with her heels clicking and her hair bouncing slightly with the rhythm of her walk.

The basement was dark.

She narrowed her eyes to see... but then thought better of it. Her hands traced the wall and stopped as she felt the light switch. She flicked it on and continued her even steps down. 

Aya was sitting on the floor... staring into the darkness... avoiding the thoughts that flittered through his mind. The light was turned on.

Manx gazed searched the chairs in the basement, looking for Aya's form...

She jumped as he stood, the movement catching in her peripheral vision and causing her to turn.

He stood behind her, in the corner and raised an eyebrow, as usual, his arms automatically moving to cross over his chest.

The gesture was hostile.

It always was.

Manx bit back the snarl of contempt that almost made it onto her lips.

"Abyssinian," she greeted, raising an eyebrow.

He didn't respond.

"How did the lessons go?" She didn't expect an answer. His silence usually provided the answers better than his choice of words ever could. Again, no emotion. "That good?" She asked. "I'm impressed. So was the sensei..."

"I'm sure he's already informed of the details and just what we're capable of. If you need anything more, you can ask the others. Excuse me."

The coldness in his tone did not change and the chill in his words seem more pointed than usual.

Manx did not step out of his way and he paused, glancing up at her.

"Actually, you were the one I was hoping to get opinions from, Abyssinian."

Aya looked at her and then drew back, his hands going into his pockets as his gaze weighed her, searching her practiced expression as he blinked slowly, his own expression a mask of calm that she had never really been able to crack.

He raised an eyebrow and waited.

"I know you don't agree with this Aya."

He didn't bother to agree or disagree. He knew that she understood how he had expressed himself and he knew that she didn't expect an answer.

He didn't give one.

"Is there some particular reason you wish this mission to fail?"

Aya's eyes flashed. "I'm doing everything you've asked of me."

Manx's eyes hardened. "But you don't want this to succeed."

"'What I want' has nothing to do with anything, Manx," He said simply and turned to leave.

"It didn't seem that way when you 'wanted' to get rid of Taketori."

He step halted, his body frozen at the accusation that struck at him. It grated against every raw nerve and he knew it was calculated to do just that.

He turned back to face her, but did not say anything, instead holding her gaze with an icy stare that seemed to burn.

Manx smiled. "Do I have your full attention now?"

Aya folded his arms across his chest and continued to stare at her.

"What you want has everything to do with this, Abyssinian, and you damn well know it." Manx's eyes flashed, her mood becoming more volatile at his silence. His silence began to irritate her. His expression so cold, it seemed to burn, she couldn't waver under it, and it made her angry. "I know very well how much you dislike the thoughts, but whether or not you like it--that's what has nothing to do with the mission. You had better want this to succeed and you had better try everything you have in your power to make sure it succeeds. It is a mission, Abyssinian, remember that."

Aya stared at her, blinking slowly, coldness complete.

"How do you expect this kind of cover to work for us?" His voice was as cold as the look in his eyes. "The mission is faulty Manx."

"It's only faulty because of the fear you hold about it." She paused. "Tell me the faults you see..." Her eyes seem to dare him.

"The thought of fame is not going to protect us, its going to expose us. Dealing with both training, recording, missions and concerts. One is going to over lap the other and their going to start conflicting in ways the shop never did."

"Concerts... training... missions... Afraid of getting a bit of an exercise Abyssinian. It will be like before... two different lives to live with. You had it easy with the flower shop... unlike some." Manx stopped, choosing her next words. "We want Schwartz to know where we are... they'll know even if we try to hide. The fame will protect us in the daytime... and at night... the night is your medium, the danger there- hasn't changed at all."

"The exposure is not a protection, Manx. The vulnerability of it is far greater than anything else we can do. It not only exposes us to Schwartz at any time they choose, to whatever attack they choose, but with fan comes recognition. Our jobs require anonymity, fame will not allow us to have that. On a mission, if we are recognized-and this increases the chance that we will be-how are we to deal with that?"

Manx gave him a soft smile, almost a little amused. "Ran, dear... your little flower shop was not exactly un-known, in fact, there were a good number of girls that could have been walking down the street at any time that might have recognized you. The chance has always been there, and it will continue to be there no matter what you choose to do. There's nothing you can do about it. If this is something that truly bothers you... we could have all four of you get a makeover each time you go into your daytime lives..." She let herself trail off... and suddenly a glint of humor washed over the hardness that had been present in her eyes. "You could always leave Yoji the task to choose you... extra apparels... such as wigs and jewelry..." 

Aya blinked at her. And the silence fell as he blinked again. The threat was not entirely masked and to be honest, he wasn't willing to dare her on it. He was all to well aware Manx might just put Yoji up to that, and the thought was too frightening for words.

He raised an eyebrow.

She really, truly thought that this plan would work, and she honestly believed that it was the one true thing that they could do.

He shrugged, defeated.

"If it's the way you want to play it. I have never let a mission fail." Aya said coldly. "It doesn't matter what I think... It won't fail."

Manx watched him carefully, and finally nodded.

She turned and walked back upstairs, turning the lights off behind her. 

As she reached the kitchen a cheerful voice greeted her in fake surprise. 

"Maa Manx-san!" Omi chirped. "You're here?!" She gave him a smile. 

"It's done Bombay." 

His smile dropped. 

"Good." He turned and jumped back onto the counter. "Thank you."

She nodded and walked away.

But as Omi glanced back at the doorway to the basement, Aya stood in the shadows, watching him.

For a long moment, Omi's heart began to beat quickly, his mouth going dry as he thought of the words he had just spoken...

Aya blinked slowly and then walked away.


	9. So Much More Than Music

Chapter Nine: So Much More Than Music

  
  


The group lesson began just like it had been starting for the past month. Ken was practicing keeping a beat as he threw his soccer ball against the wall. Aya's place was now at the piano bench... which painfully made Omi never want to look in his direction. Yoji was lounging on the bench... waiting... for his fame to begin... if it ever would. 

Omi cracked a smile as Ken yelped and the teacher frowned.

"Ken!" Their sensei snapped. "if you wish to learn how to be a drummer... how about you start keeping the tempo with the proper materials." Aya's hands had stilled right when the yelp had echoed over the room... the ball that had smacked Ken in the face was now abandoned. 

Yoji sighed and pushed his sunglasses further up onto his nose. He'd gotten over the shock of seeing Aya perched on that black piano bench... mostly. He still couldn't get over hearing the guy play though...

But then hearing Omi's clear voice was just as frightening as hearing Ken actually hit the notes which were entirely... un-male, was also a bit of a shock.

He sigh and pushed his growing bangs back from his face.

Omi sighed and still stood over in the corner, across from Yoji.

The sensei shook his head, and ran his fingers over his temples as though in pain. "All right, Omi, lets try that last measure again."

Omi bit his lip before actually starting to sing again. This was going to be his 'solo' piece supposedly for the concert that was going to take place in a couple weeks. He didn't consider it a solo... it wasn't really. All of them would be singing the 'Crash and Burn' by Savage Garden. The sensei though was focusing on his part of the song today to his horror. It was a fun song... and Omi had to admit that he liked singing... but still... it still felt ... awkward. 

His cheeks started to prickle with heat but he let the words flow with the music as Aya played for him. Ken joined Aya's flow of music with his light taps from his now drum sticks. 

  
  


"When you feel all alone...

And the world has turned its back on you

Give me a moment please to tame your wild, wild heart

I know you feel like the walls are closing in on you

Its hard to find relief and people can be so cold..." 

  
  


He found that last line hard to say sometimes. A lump would always start to form if he thought of the words for too long. The sensei was net to him then... looking at him strangely. Omi closed his eyes. All he had to do was ignore the words and let the music wash over him... all he had to do...

  
  


"When darkness is upon your door and you feel like you Can't Take anymore..."

  
  


He opened his eyes...The sensei nodded his head. Ken's smooth voice mixed in with his as Aya's soft voice also mingled with theirs as the entered the chorus. 

"Stop." The teacher sighed. "Yoji... where were you?"

The teacher sighed again and rubbed his temples as had become habit when he worked with the four of them.

"All right, Yoji, you need to work on that entrance if you please. I know you can do it. But as long as we're stopped..." He paused for a moment and glanced at Omi. "Actually, I want to run over a couple things. First off, you've definitely improved on the first verse, but you always seem to start getting closed in on the bridge." The teacher raised an eyebrow.

"Sumi masen," Omi muttered awkwardly.

"I just want you to try and remember to sing forward... just try to envision the sound in front of you instead of at the back of your throat where its originating. That might help."

Omi nodded and sighed. "Hai, I'll try."

"All right," Kuniaki announced, "lets try that again."

Omi started again... trying his best to envision... to see it... to feel it as well... he supposed...

If only this song didn't fit them so well... 

If only...

Maybe it wouldn't be so hard to concentrate in the sound then... rather then the contents. The chorus started, this time Yoji joining them on time as Ken's drums suddenly beat to life.

"Let me be the one you call

If you jump I'll break your fall

Lift you up into the night

If you need to fall apart

I can mend a broken heart

If you need to crash

Then crash and burn...

You're not alone."

  
  


The blend of all their voices was the only thing that soothed his raw nerves. It seemed to fit so well... a perfect harmony. The one that lacked in real life...

Yoji's bass held the melody line as to Omi's surprise, Aya took the harmony. He slipped his voice just above Omi's, not over powering it, but joining it in a perfect kind of meld.

The four of them fell into momentary silence as together Aya and Ken kept the beat alive, holding it for just a moment before they paused all together, the second of silence taking over and building that expectation.

The melody that continued once more was delicate again.

Ken's voice rose above the others, alone and simple.

  
  


"When you feel all alone...

And a loyal friend is hard to find."

  
  


Ken closed his eyes and hit the drums just a little harder, pounding out the beat as the tears stung his eyes. (This is hell...)

  
  


"You're caught in a one way street."

  
  


Yoji's voice was deep, a contrast after the sweetness of Ken's, it was entirely perfect, but he'd learn to catch the notes and carry the tone.

The single line was just enough to make everything hurt again.

He was who he was now and there was no changing... this was nothing more than a chance to fame in this one way street, because there was never any way to turn around and remake the past.

  
  


"With the monsters in your head."

  
  


Aya's fingers danced over the keys, not faltering as his voice took place over Yoji's as Yoji fell silent.

He stared down at the keys, letting his voice carry over them, and kept the thoughts from returning.

  
  


"When hopes and dreams are far away

And you feel like you can't face the day..."

  
  


Omi took the last line, his voice rising with the crescendo of the music and the increasing beat of Ken's drums. Aya's fingers striking the chords that made Omi's heart ache.

Their voices rose to join his once again, Aya again striking the harmony that made the hopeful words seem to grow haunting and sent a chill down Omi's spine.

  
  


"Let me be the one you call

If you jump I'll break your fall

Lift you up and fly away with you into the night

If you need to fall apart

I can mend a broken heart

If you need to crash

Then crash and burn

You're not alone..."

  
  


Ironically, it was then the others dropped out from under him and left Omi with his voice rising above the others.

If only they knew how much each word meant... how much the truth filled his voice...

  
  


"Cause there has always been heart ache

And pain

When it's over

You'll breathe again..."

  
  


Just breathe...

  
  


"You'll breathe again."

  
  


Omi swallowed as Ken stopped, leaving only Aya to carry their melody, leaving it echoing as each note struck seemed to catch on the other and chase the last, dropping to a softness that made Omi lower his voice, his song a whisper that caught in his throat.

  
  


"When you feel all alone

And the world has turned its back on you

Give me a moment please

To tame your wild, wild heart..."

  
  


But each of them held something that could never be tamed... never be changed and never be healed...

Still, always...

together??

The others brought their voice together, unison taking hold for the final chorus.

Ken slammed into his drums as Aya struck the chords and their voices rose.

  
  


"Let me be the one you call

If you jump I'll break your fall

Lift you up and fly away with you into the night

If you need to fall apart

I can mend a broken heart

If you need to crash then crash and burn..."

  
  


In their own twist, the others dropped off, Aya's hands coming to an abrupt stop as Ken stilled his cymbals.

Omi's voice rose alone, sweet and clear.

  
  


"You're not alone."

  
  


The teacher waited as the song's ending left chills running through him. Omi's blue eyes suddenly focused once more and his mouth snapped shut. 

It was over.

The teacher smiled and let the silence stretch for a moment or two to keep the memory of it alive.

"You guys make me so proud sometimes... sniffles..." He made a show of wiping his eyes making Ken and Omi give a little embarrassed laugh while Yoji let the smile on his face grow. Aya continued to stare at the ivory keys of the piano. "All right how about we go onto the next piece... Ken... are you ready?"

The brunette answered with a smile. 

"As always." He gave the wall a little tap before taking in a breath. "ready."

  
  


The drum beat was instant and intense.

The lights around them flashed as they came up and Aya ran through the first chords. The mix of drums and piano brought together the frighteningly upbeat music that crashed through the open air.

The screams that greeted them almost entirely drowned out the sounds of the rapid procession of drums that Ken threw out, slamming his stick down into the instrument as he let his wrists flick the way he'd been taught.

The guitars and back up joined them from the players who had been hired for the occasion.

The stadium lights went up all around them, and the screams flared again as Ken brought his lips to his microphone after another strike at a kind of drum roll.

  
  


"Never really meant to volunteer

Felt the urge to stretch after a yawn

And incidentally raise my hand

I just want to be her special..."

  
  


Yoji and Omi jumped in behind the lyrics as Ken paused, throwing in their harmony as the backed up the words, watching the way the crowd roared in front of them, each person seeming to rock with the frantic beat.

  
  


"Someone who will never pioneer

I prefer to watch the mud break off her heels

And turn into cement

I just want to be her ornament"

  
  


The break was brief between the verses as Ken continued the steady beat and drummed another intro.

  
  


"Her shadow seems much cooler

Camouflage myself and plan a special entrance

I just want to be her situation pending expectation

I just want to be her ornament."

  
  


The music took over as the guitars strummed into more action and Aya continued to catch chords, Ken banged out the drum solo that he had planned, catching the final beats and keeping up with Aya's now frighteningly rapid string of notes.

Finally, Ken gave a kind of shout, introducing the final verse as Omi and Yoji joined him, their voices blending together over the screams of the crowd.

  
  


"Oh... I never really meant to volunteer

I fought the urge to stretch

After a yawn and accidentally lost my head

I just want to be her exploitation and abbreviation

I just want to be her ornament."

  
  


The final drum beats that they threw their all into the finally of the song and of the concert. The four of them and the rest of their now completed band.

The final notes sent the already insane crowd into an absolute frenzy.

Yoji waited a few minutes before running towards the crowd, mike in hand. With a huge smile that was greeted with more roars, Yoji began his little speech that had made the others roll their eyes at him two nights before when they had been practicing. "Heyla everybody! Enjoying the view so far!?" The crowd shrieked and many girls came forward as a massive cloud. Yoji glanced behind his shoulder... a smug look glinting in his eyes. The reaction made Omi weak kneed... " Or should I ask... enjoying the songs?!" Another shriek agreed with his words. "Wanna hear more?" Ken shook his head warily. "Well... Hyde's just gonna have to give you pretty gals more!"

Hyde... Yoji couldn't help the way he still felt strange saying it out loud. It was the difference in the spelling however, not the pronunciation that had made the name perfect and made the name all together far too fitting.

He still remembered the look in the little chibi's eyes as he'd mentioned the name two nights before as they discussed for the umpteenth time what their little band name was going to be. When he'd said it, Yoji had shot it down almost instantly. 'Hide' he had thought was a ridiculous name for a band. However as Omi had corrected him on the spelling and explained far to calmly the influence of Jekyll and Hyde, Yoji had found nothing more to complain about, and even Ken had agreed without thought.

Aya, of course, had had nothing to say.

But that was not surprising.

However, right then, as Yoji saw the effect the already over advertised name had on the fan's below them, it gave him a shot of pride.

"All right all, this will be our last number for the night, I hope you've had as much fun as I know we have! Love you all!"

He stepped back, retreating back to Omi's side as the pair of them got ready and Omi slowly stepped forward.

He swallowed hard and let Aya begin the melody.

For the final song, the four of them joined their voices in "Crash and Burn."


	10. Kizuna (Bonds)

Chapter Ten: Kizuna (Bonds)

  
  


Aya-chan giggled, teasing Omi still about the concert that had taken place four days ago. 

"You looked so terrified and kawaii at the same time... how do you pull it off?" She asked, making him blush harder. 

"Aya-chan..." He drew the name out and scowled at her. (I'm sure she could pull it off a lot better than I could... She's kawaii looking all the time...) He shut that thought out of his head before it could continue, his blush deepening for a moment. He shook his head. "You're as bad as Yoji. Always teasing me..." He gave a half whine making her smile.

"Gomen Omi-chan..." (Chan?) His brain sort of stalled on the addition to his name. He glanced at her and saw a small blush start on her cheeks. (Oh.) He looked down and thought of something to say.

"Want to get some ice-cream before we head to the apartments?" He asked, hefting the grocery bag that he had been carrying into his other hand so he could fish out some money from his pocket. 

"Are you sure? Is it okay I mean?" 

He gave her a smile. "Sure? It depends... Are you hungry? If it's a yes... then yes I'm sure..." She smiled a bit shyly at that and he wondered if that was the wrong thing to say. "There's a good ice-cream store over there..." 

"Okay..." They walked in companionable silence, letting him... giving him time to mull over the last few moments. Had she been teasing about his height when she had called him Chan? It was a possibility... one that made sense since they were about the same height. 

It was a possibility ... one that was better than the others that ran through his head. 

He gave a little smile. 

He should stop the thinking and leave their friendship where it was. It was already too precious for him to believe that it was true. He hadn't really ever pictured in his mind that he could get close to Aya's little sister. 

And yet...

Since she had woken, they had been getting closer than he ever would have thought. That was fine. He enjoyed the friendship. She seemed as fascinated, or almost as fascinated, as he was by computers sometimes, and that gave them something to talk about that he couldn't talk about with very many other people. She seemed to understand him.

And there was a darkness behind Aya-chan's sweetness that hadn't really been noticed before. Omi had never really thought about it, but he couldn't help wondering if maybe the small girl knew him better than he'd given her credit for.

As they walked down the street, side by side in silence, he couldn't help but think that the thought frightened him a little bit. The thought of her knowing him...

What could she possible know really?

That answer was far to easy for him to find. It was the thought of her finding out who he really was... Omi shook his head. He shouldn't have been ashamed of it. It shouldn't have bothered him. It wasn't his fault who's house he'd been born into. He'd been raised away from it and his past was still so fuzzy at times. But...

But the truth was that he knew A--Ran far too well.

Ran... that didn't feel right... and yet when he was near her, he always seemed to force himself to think of who he had always known as Aya that way.

It was just one of the affects she had to have on him.

And lately, she'd been having just a little too many of those effects on him...

Omi shook his head rather forcefully, causing Aya-chan to glance up at him, looking down from the birds that had been flying over head.

"Nani, Omi-chan?"

"Eh? Nani?" He blinked innocently and she swatted at his head. 

"You're so... frustrating sometimes!" She declared with a pout as he avoided her attack skillfully and laughed at her defeat. "I will get you one day!" She muttered. 

"Maa maa Aya-chan. Violent aren't we!?" 

"Now who's teasing who?" Aya-chan deepened her pout and looked at him as she paused in her steps. She planted her hands on her hips.

"Uhm... the ice cream shop is like... two feet away?" Omi muttered a bit lost. (Now I understand why Yoji was saying that you should always let women win arguments...Jeesh.) She stayed standing there, an eyebrow arched as she waited for him to agree with her... or something. "I might be frustrating..." He finally started. "But you're just as stubborn as your dear older brother!" He muttered and grabbed her hand to pull her the rest of the way.

"AIE!" Aya-chan squeaked, trying to jerk her hand away. "I'm being abducted by a pop idol!"

Omi squeaked and dropped her hand. "Shh!!" He hissed. "You don't want a flock of psycho girls chasing us around again, do you? You remember what happened when Yoji started shouting about agency's and being pop idols! I thought we were going to die!"

The honest fright on Omi's face didn't seem to affect Aya-chan as she burst into giggles again. "True... and I really don't want to share you right now anyway, so the rest of your fans will just have to wait."

She looped her arm through Omi's and started towards the ice cream shop as Omi's mind went instantly entirely blank.

(Oh... dear...)

He stood blinking but managed to pull himself out of the shock, and tried to ignore his own flaming face as he placed the order for Aya-chan and managed to pick something for himself.

Thankfully, the rest of the walk was once more taken over by their companionable silence as Aya-chan watched the world around her, seeming fascinated by all of the small details that Omi so usually missed. She giggled as a pair of squirrels chased each other across their path and darted up the nearest tree, shouting at each other, and he saw her eyes taking in the details of the wind in the grass.

She still hadn't let go of his arm and at one moment she forced him to stop as she watched a man walking his dog through the trees, the animal turning his nose towards them as he panted.

"Look," Aya-chan said simply, "he's smiling!"

Omi blinked, watching the animal, and was shocked to find as he stared at the golden lab it's face did seem to smile back at him with the same kind of intelligent innocence he saw in the eyes of a child.

Omi shook his head and looked away.

What was he doing??

They moved away and soon reached the front door of what he was starting to consider a new home. Aya-chan pulled at his arm again making him stop and look at her. The smile and the innocent look that she had always given him was sort of fading as she regarded him his in sudden fierce seriousness. 

"Omi-chan?" She started tentatively.

"What is it?" He asked gently. 

"You... Take care of yourself okay? If fans harass you again... call me.. I'll protect you from them!" The seriousness had almost vanished as she blushed and looked away, her tone way too light to be natural. 

"...Arigatou Aya-chan." He whispered as she opened the door, letting go of his arm and letting him go in first since both of his hands were filled, one with his ice cream cone and the other with the groceries. 

Aya-chan grinned, closing her eyes for an instant before shutting the door and then giving him a little hug from behind, causing Omi to freeze in his tracts. "Iya, Omi-chan," she said softly. "Arigatou for the ice cream."

Then before he could react, she danced away, her ice cream come to her lips as before she called out a greeting to the others.

"Ohayo!!!" Her sweet voice rang through the house as Omi stood in his frozen shock.

(Naaanniii... what is this?!?!)

He shook his head and forced his thoughts out of his mind before stepping into the kitchen and almost running into Aya... (Ran...)

For a moment, Omi's mind went entirely blank as his face blanched. "Sumi masen, Aya-kun... Ran... erm... demo... ano... we just... I just... ran into Aya-chan on the way here, and we stopped... and... erm... ano... hai. We just stopped for ice cream, and... hai, I'll put these away now... hai... erm... hai hai."

Ran blinked at him, but before he could say anything, or respond to Omi's sudden stuttering speech, Omi had retreated into the kitchen and dumped the grocery bags on the counter.

What was wrong with him!? He shook his head sharply. It's not like he and Aya-chan had done anything wrong... it was just... the thought of A-Ran knowing they were out there together... that... he just... Omi shook his head. He didn't understand.

A hand came into his view and suddenly both hands were free as Yoji took his ice cream and started eating it. 

"Oy Omittchi... had a little date today?" He took another bite as Omi just stared in helpless... terror? Embarrassment? "Meh I prefer chocolate mind you... vanilla's a bit too boring for me." He placed the cone back in his hands. "Kawaii couple your sister and him make, ne Aya?" 

"Y...YOJI!" Omi snapped. "What... is wrong with you today?" Yoji raised an eyebrow.

"Oh look... he's blushing." Ken looked up from whatever he had been doing and frowned. 

"Yoji... Omi is always blushing. Leave him alone..." (Thank you Ken-kun... the voice of reason for once..)

Omi still couldn't dare to glance over his shoulder to where he knew Ay.. Ran was standing. He swallowed hard.

Aya had an icy glare fixed on Yoji.

Omi swallowed hard again and tried to make his retreat.

"Oi!" Aya-chan called, slipping into the room. (HELP!) Omi skidded to a stop instantly and back peddled into the kitchen, hoping it didn't look too unnatural. "What are you guys all doing hiding in here?" Aya-chan demanded, coming up to her brothers side.

Aya glanced down on her, looking a little uncomfortable with the barest of smiles that he managed to force to cross his lips. "Did Manx send a message with you?" He asked.

Aya-chan glanced up and Omi from his corner saw the flash of hurt that flew threw her gaze before she grinned up at her older brother. "Actually, yes, she did, she wants to get together with you guys again before the next concert. She didn't say why..."

And that was an easy message to tell them exactly why.

A mission...

Omi closed his eyes briefly.

(Perfect.)

Yoji grinned. "So did you at least have fun on your little date with the chibi Aya-chan?"

The look Ran shot him could have killed him had he been looking at Ran...

Aya-chan rolled her eyes. "You baka, Omi-kun and I just happened to run into each other." She shook her head. "You just think everything's a date because you've been so hard up lately."

Yoji's jaw dropped as Ran blinked and Ken burst out laughing.

The smile that could have come over Omi's lips didn't quite make it. (Omi... kun??) He couldn't help but wonder if the switch had been subconscious or intentional...

She didn't look back at him.

Omi made his escape. She didn't look back. She didn't see him... she didn't acknowledge his presence.

(It's nothing.) He told himself. (She is just a really really nice person... it's nothing. And if she knew who you really were...) He cut the thought off and shook his head sharply. What did it matter? It was nothing.

Then why was his heart still beating so hard...

  
  



	11. Knight Song

Chapter Eleven: Knight Song

  
  


Manx arrived on time as usual, handing the tape that carried all the information to Omi, acknowledging all their presence's with a nod. Omi took the tape in his hands and put it into the VCR, pressing play as soon as it left his hand.

The snow that had been filtering over the gray screen stopped along with the static noise. Instead the dark image of a man came on and he began speaking. If Omi closed his eyes and shut his mind off... if that was possible... he could almost make believe that it was his Uncle's voice. 

Almost.

But the reminder that he was dead... was something that couldn't be ignored. 

He blocked the rest of the world out as he sat down next to Ken and let the words of their next mission wash over him. 

Aya tensed as Manx entered. They had passed the easy tests... now would be the real one... to see if all of them could keep the pop idol image along with their true... darker natures. His eyes hardened as the man appeared on the screen. In two minutes... the mission would start...

"Hunters of the night, new group is rising in the darkness of the streets. Their leader... a man named Tenshi Terao, is heading a project to clone humans for the army. In trying to make this project progress faster he's experimenting on young women who are about to be mothers... 

In killing this man, the main scientist running this project... it will fall short of the army' demand and will fall through. Hunters of the night, deny these dark beasts their tomorrow's." The screen went black, leaving Ken to contemplate what had just been said. 

"He's..." The words died off in his mouth as the lights were flicked on and Omi shut the TV off. 

"Are you all in?" Manx asked. Omi and Ken nodded. Aya stayed silent as usual... while Yoji seethed. 

"Hell yeah." Yoji snapped. "He's hurting those nice looking gals..." He flicked his sunglasses back up his nose and took the envelope that was handed to him. 

The rest were handed out. 

"Any questions?" Aya glanced at the paper and skimmed through the words. 

"Iya..." He muttered. 

(Let the games begin.)

"Good. I'll leave the rest to you."

"Goodnight, Manx-san." Omi remembered in time to call out as she disappeared. The four were left to look at each other for a moment before they each got up and went to get into their battle clothes. "I'll find out his location... now." He muttered. Aya nodded, barely acknowledging the words before he left the room as well. 

(This is going to be a long night...)

  
  


~

  
  


The three entered the dark building as Omi unplugged the computer that he had used to disconnect the building's security system and electric system. He'd catch up with them later. 

In the darkness...

Aya's eyes focused in the darkness and he didn't make his steps slow as he turned into the next hallway to find room number 45A. A door on the side opened suddenly and a little light flashed at them.

"Are you maintenance?" Aya blinked.

"Aa." He muttered quickly.

"What's going on? The soccer game is on tonight?"The man grumbled, flashing his flashlight to their faces. Ken's hand rose to his face, eyes hurting from the light.

"I know sir..." Ken started. "It's very upsetting... We're working to fix the problem as soon as possible. Go back into your room though... we can't have people getting lost when we're working to fix this out." The man nodded and the light flickered out.

"God bless your souls... soccer is an important thing." 

"Amen." Ken added way into this making Yoji almost gag. 

"You and your soccer buddies... the fork one day will reappear."

"Ajo." Aya muttered. "Be quiet. Both of you." 

He was glad for the usual anger that found its way into his voice. He was afraid for a moment, for one brief moment as that flashlight had caught in their faces that they would have been recognized. He shook off the fear and focused.

There was only three more rooms to go.

"Get ready," he hissed, voice nearly inaudible, even in the silence of the hallway.

Yoji grinned in the darkness and stepped up to the doorway.

He rapped loudly against the door. "Excuse me?" He called. "Helloo???" If Ken hadn't known better he would have sworn that Yoji really was drunk. "HELLOOO!?!?!"

He banged on the door again.

The voice on the other side was obviously hesitant to open the door. "What's going on? Who's this? What do you want?" There was a kind of paranoia in the voice that Aya noted and stored. He was going to be harder to lure out than they thought.

Yoji hiccuped and leaned into the door. "The power's out in my room man... and... I got..." he hiccuped again. "I got lost in the darkness of all these damn hallways... can you let me in to make a phone call man... I gotta call a cab to go down to the bar to finish watching the game. It's a game man!" He banged harder against the door.

"Get out of here, you drunk."

"Hey!" Yoji squeaked in a manner that would have made Ken laugh under any other circumstances.

"Get out! I'll call the police..." 

Yoji threw up his hands in the darkness. "Pleeaaaaaaaaaaaaseeeeeeeee???" He whined. "One phone call?" He hiccuped again for affect. 

Yoji's drunken speech was getting annoying... and obviously was not working. Aya edged toward the door, revealing the katana he had hidden under his trench coat. 

"Get him to open the door... or back away." He hissed. It was impossible to tell in the darkness whether Yoji's eyes widened. But the comment he made was enough.

"More property damage on the way." The older man muttered. He gave one last whine and in defeat backed away to make room for Ken's claws. 

The brunette made it a quick work and the splinters moved everywhere in the air as he continued the mad dash into the room. It had made noise... And Aya stayed in the darkened hallway... waiting for someone to come out... to ask. 

There was nothing.

Perhaps Yoji's drunken noise had made others fearful of a drunken brawl. 

It did not matter. 

There was a yell... but it was strangled. 

There was the shattering of a window... but somehow... the noise was muffled as the remainder of the door closed after Ken and Yoji. Aya made his way into the room and surveyed the scene. 

Yoji had unloosed the wire around the man's throat...A man... that could be recognized as the scientist who's picture had been shown house before. The other man that lay dead on the floor... Omi's dart in his throat was not recognizable.

"He tried to escape." Ken muttered unnecessarily. The man was draped over the broken shards of the window after all... one hand still clinging to the window's edge. 

Omi jumped in through the window from the tree branch that he had been staying in. In one quick motion he retrieved his weapon and brushed the blood off on his dark shorts before replacing the dart into his special case for them.

"Mission completed." Aya said darkly. "Let's go." They all nodded. Omi left first, landing in the tree as if it were the most natural thing in the world, and Aya watched him disappearing into the leaves... knowing the kid was going to reinstate the power again.

He let the kid do what needed to be done. 

The others had to head back to ho- ...base. 

  
  


~

  
  


Mission Report-Bombay. 

Mission completed with only minor problems. Target and friend eliminated. No observers.

  
  


Omi clicked the button send.

Now he could go to bed. Now he could rest.


	12. Hyde

Chapter Twelve: Hyde

  
  


Mornings lately had been hell... worse than the usual hell that they had to deal with, Aya thought as he emptied his fifth ... or was it sixth cup of coffee. His eyes were scratchy and his voice hurt like hell... 

(If everyone could just die right now...) 

For some reason he found the thought almost amusing.

Aya closed his eyes and sat back in his chair, not wanting to acknowledge how dangerous the movement truly was. If he sat with his eyes closed too much longer...

It was just that he was tired.

He wasn't used to it.

Aya hadn't minded the work at the flower shop. Between missions and between that life, there had been breaks, that had been a chance to rest and a chance to just... sit.

This was the first time he had sat calmly, alone in what seemed weeks, and thinking didn't seem to really be an option. His mind was struggling to keep up with his exhausted body and he couldn't really seem to manage the lack of sleep that was catching up with all of the Weiss members.

"Go to sleep Aya-kun." A small voice started next to him startling him into opening his eyes. "I canceled the recording session... we'll do it in two days." Omi continued with as soft of a voice as he could. The man was paler than he'd been... and a lot more tense. The violet eyes turned to glare at him, the mouth suddenly tight.

"You what...?"

"I canceled the lesson... go to bed." (Funny... that almost sounds like an order...) Aya thought.

Omi blinked at Aya, trying to sound sure of himself, and trying at the same time to keep the authority from ringing true in his voice. He didn't want to push. Aya never had responded particularly well to authority figures... Omi blinked and caulked his head at Aya, still waiting for a response. (Funny... if every one considers me the kid... he must be the angst twisted teen.)

Omi almost smiled.

Aya just continued blinking at him.

"Everybody's tired, Aya-kun, sumi masen if you wanted to go to the recording studio today, demo... I thought we could all use the break," Omi muttered weakly, doing his best to not sound like the entire thing was just reverse psychology.

Aya raised an eyebrow.

"Ken's with the kids... And I think Yoji already crashed in bed." There was another pause. "Everything's been going so well lately Aya-kun... it'd be really stupid to ruin that by letting one us get sick." Omi continued and almost wanted to pull the older man out of the chair and get him moving towards Aya's room. Why couldn't he just accept the facts... and go get rest?

Until then...

"Kuniaki-san didn't sound to happy when I talked to him, but I think actually he wanted the break to." Omi shrugged, and then pushed himself back, hauling himself up onto the counter top. "He's been working himself to the ground for our sakes just as we have, so I think he'll be glad of a few day vacation time." Omi cleared his throat. "My voice can certainly use it."

(I wonder how long I could talk...)

Aya sat very still, his violet eyes still cold as he regarded Omi's movements mutely, never ever parting his lips to begin a response.

(Why is it every conversation with you is so one sided?)

Omi smiled. (If you won't comment... ) "I was actually thinking about heading out later... do you think there's anything we need that I should pick up?" (... try avoiding a direct question.)

Aya blinked at him for a moment. "Iya," he said simply.

(Kso.) Omi sighed. (Why the hell do I bother?)

Omi shrugged and shoved himself off the counter, giving Aya a wide smile. "Ja ne... Aya-kun. You better get some rest though!"

Aya watched him leave before returning to his thoughts. He wondered sometimes why the kid was adjusting so well to their new schedule. Hardly a yawn or a complain coming from him... It really shouldn't have bothered him except... This new life was taking a toll on all of them except.... Omi. He looked back to stare at where the eighteen year old had been sitting. 

It shouldn't have bothered him what Omi was like... but when he sat there himself, hardly able to think with the built up exhaustion, he couldn't help the annoyance that flashed in his mind. He'd never felt like that before. Little sleep had so little affect on him any more that he wasn't sure he would ever feel the exhaustion he had when he was young again. He was sure that he would never have to deal with that burning need for sleep...

He'd spent enough sleepless nights to learn how to deal with it.

But now...

Aya couldn't help the way he leaned forward into the kitchen table and began to rub his eyes with his hands, leaning his elbows on the table top.

Yet Omi... somehow... it wasn't bothering the kid. It was... unnatural.

Until he thought about it.

The kid probably had had it tougher than any of them last time... he'd had three lives to deal with really... School, florist and then the assassin. While the others...

(Kso...)

...weren't used to having so many things to do and so little time to...rest.

A crooked smile filed onto his face. The only good thing about this whole deal was in the fact that Yoji was now... indeed... a celibate. No free time really does kill relationships. No matter how many of them you happen to have at one time.

The smile disappeared and suddenly he found himself wondering where exactly Omi was headed... and why that thought was mixed with images of his little sister. 

Aya-chan... Ran dug his fingers into his temples. Aya shook his head.

He hadn't seen her in a while... and yet it seemed so natural... Aya closed his eyes. He hated the fact that it seemed right for her not to be there. For the fact that he was almost... almost glad that she didn't see him. That she didn't know him, or....

What was he supposed to do.

But Omi... why Omi?

Aya swallowed hard.

It was just the comments Yoji had made. He knew that was all it was, and yet, in spite of everything, he'd let the comment slide under his skin and it was festering. The idea had quite suddenly planted itself in Ran's head and he couldn't help the way the thought of Omi with Aya-chan made the assassins bloody hands tense.

He opened his eyes and dropped his hands almost instinctively to the table, half expecting to find that he'd once more accidentally smeared the blood over his cheeks without thinking... He shook his head.

He was tired.

He pushed himself away from the table and got up. 

They had a day off... night however.... he doubt they'd get a break...

Maybe rest would be good.

Rest...

  
  



	13. Dr. Jekyll

Chapter Thirteen: Dr. Jekyll

  
  


Yoji had thought... thought mind you that fame would be the life. It would be interesting... it would get them money... and most of all... they'd get all the girls. Now though... he wished he could go back down that one way street and strangle his past self for being a complete brainless idiot. One who still believed in adolescent fantasies. 

He should have known better.

Should have...

But hadn't.

The girls in the small building were crazy. So crazy... so frightening in their want to be near them... to get at them in any way they could. Girls had tried to climb their way onto the stage... scrambling and pushing others to get there...

"Kowaii..." Omi whined.

The kid was still pale from their last encounter and Yoji had to admit that he wasn't feeling that great either. He would be happy when they'd be home, locked in their privacy... This obsession the girls had about them was...

"Stop." Aya hissed. 

"Nani?" Ken asked, grumpy. 

"Look back." Aya muttered. 

Yoji glanced back, catching a look at the annoyed Aya. His usually annoyed expression had darkened into something that seemed extremely frightening.

Ken's voice was a little weak. "Are they following us?"

"..." There was really no need to answer such a pathetic question. Ken's green eyes darted to the mirror before he went back to looking at the road in front of him. 

"They've never been this bad..." Omi muttered, eyes wide in the darkness. 

"That's it." Aya muttered with such anger in each word that for a moment Yoji thought that Taketori had come back from the dead and was included in the band of psycho chicks that were following them home. "Next time... my katana comes with me." 

Yoji threw another glance over his shoulder, glancing out the back window before glancing back at Aya.

Omi stared at Aya a little strangely, and the comment he intended to be humorous was a little wan after the tone of Aya's voice. "Demo... Aya-kun, I don't think security would like that too much... not to mention how Manx-san might feel if our fans started dropping dead."

The three older members blinked almost in unison.

"Okay..." Yoji muttered. "Bad humor kid... Ken... speed up for god's sake." 

"Sumi masen, Yoji-kun," Omi muttered before his gaze was returned to the window at his side.

There was a tense silence for a moment as the car lurched into a higher speed. 

"We shouldn't go home Ken-kun." Omi suddenly muttered. Aya tried to glance at the kid's face but it was turned in a way that only shadows were visible. 

"What do you mean?" Ken almost screamed. "I'm not driving this fucking car while a bunch of lunatics follow us for a whole night!"

"You'd rather them know where we live?" Omi asked gently. 

"This is so not the way fame is supposed to be," Yoji whined from the front seat.

Aya was very tempted to open the door and shove him out of the car to let him have a little taste of the fame that was following them.

"Turn right here." Aya snapped instead of doing what he so badly wanted to do. "There's a public parking lot for a shopping mall in two to three miles. Go there." 

Ken threw a dangerous glance over his shoulder. "What the hell are we supposed to do in a parking lot?"

Aya shot him a withering glare. "Just. Drive."

Yoji agreed to both comments. The girls were still on their butts. If Ken drove any slower... somebody walking would be able to pass them. He cursed and decided that action needed to be taken. He lifted his foot and slammed it to where Ken's foot was already resting on the gas pedal. 

"This is how you drive fast Ken!" He muttered as Ken yelped in pain. Omi gave a little shriek as the car leaped forward and made a little zig zag into the other lane as Ken's surprise and pain made him stop worrying about the steering. Aya clenched his teeth and swore that the fans would NOT get a hold of Yoji... he would rather have the pleasure of killing that lazy bastard...

"YOJI!!!" Ken's shriek was slightly undignified as the car lit through a very definite red light, causing the horns around them to blare and the car behind them to screech to a halt a moment before jerking forward after them.

"That would be the right turn behind us," Aya pointed out coldly.

"Fuck off Aya. We'll turn at the next right." Yoji stated kind of calmly as suddenly also made the decision to grab the wheel and turn it with a violent wrench as Ken gave another scream. 

"GET THE HELL OFF THE WHEEL YOU PSYCHO LONG HAIRED FREAK!"

"We're going to die..." Omi managed as he tried to pull on the seat belt around him. Aya almost agreed since after the turn he'd been half thrown onto Omi's side of the car, squishing them both to the door in a very uncomfortable and painful manner. 

"DIE YOJI!" Aya growled as he pushed himself back into a sitting position. For a moment Omi thought that Aya to was going to put his seat-belt on... instead the older man seem to prepare to pounce like a panther would and before Omi could yelp that whatever was going to take place was NOT a good idea...Aya's hands were around Yoji's throat. "Let. GO. Of. Hidaka... or die."

Unfortunately, when Aya grabbed Yoji, Yoji's hands were still quite firmly gripping onto the wheel.

The car took a violent leap forward as it swerved and spun, Ken shrieking as Omi shouted in the back again.

"We're going to die!"

"LET GO OF HIDAKA!"

"HELP!"

The car continued to swerve violently.

"Let go of Hidaka!"

"GET OFF THE WHEEL YOJI!"

Yoji made a very loud strangling noise and jerked the wheel again.

"CHIILLDDREEEN PLEASE!!!" Omi finally screamed sounding very much like a frazzled grownup.

For a moment it seemed as though time had frozen in the car. Yoji still had his hands over the wheel and his foot over Ken's as Ken was white knuckled and still trying to steer. He however froze with the other two, Aya's hands still placed calmly around Yoji's throat.

They all stared at Omi, saying nothing, merely staring, disbelieving.

Omi blinked wide blue eyes at them for that one long moment and then raised a pale hand to point out through the windshield. "Pole." He advised them calmly and then ducked.

The three men flew into action at the sound leaving Yoji time to bat away Aya's hands and get back into his seat. Ken took that opportunity to go back to his speed and turn in the right direction, avoiding the pole and the sidewalk by mere inches. The scraping of metal made all their hearts jump.

"Fuck all of you." Ken muttered. 

He pulled into the parking lot and screeched into a halt. All four of them piled out of the car as if the seats were on fire. Ken went like a mad hornet and turned onto Omi at the same pace. Immediately the youngest boy's collar was pulled as Ken started to shake him back and forth.

"Couldn't you have warned us before you little punk? We could have died!" Ken screamed in his face.

"I.... wasn't... driv-.... ing.... not.... paying.... att...en... tion....keeeeeeeeeeen....kunnnn..." Omi rattled off as best as he could. That answer seemed to enrage the brunette further and his fist pulled back and slammed into Omi's open cheek. There was a little gasp that slipped past his lips before he was dropped limply onto the ground.

Omi landed on his butt, more shock than pain on his face for the moment. He slapped a hand to his cheek, eyes wide. "You hit me!"

During this... Yoji and Aya were glaring each other to death until Yoji's eyes widened. 

Omi wasn't given much time to scramble back to his feet.

"I hope you have a fucking plan Aya.... because we're at the parking lot now and.... so are they!" He spat out. Aya looked back and hissed a curse. 

"Come on!" He snapped. Yoji followed Aya's brisk pace out of the parking lot, followed a few steps behind by the other two members. 

They ran into an apartment building and slammed into the elevator together and Aya punched the number two. 

"Where the hell are we?" Yoji asked through gritted teeth. 

"Aya-chan's." Aya snapped back. Their eyes followed the little light at the top of the elevator indicating what floor number it was. It clicked to a stop and the door opened. The four of them rushed their little butts to room 231. Yoji frantically began hitting it. 

"Sanctuary... sanctuary...sanc-umph." Yoji whined. The door opened before him and he fell in. Aya-chan's eyes widened and she opened the door further. 

"What the...?" She started. 

"GO IN!" Aya shouted, pushing the rest of them in. He slammed the door closed behind them and locked all the locks that were on the poor battered door. At the shut door and the final security of their situation, Yoji slid to the ground and breathed a sigh of relief out. He arched an eyebrow at Aya-chan's wide eyes and gave a flirty smile.

"Weren't expecting us, huh?" She had no answer to that and didn't need one as Aya simply came towards his partner and brought his fist down on top of his head. "Ouch!" Yoji yelped. "Bastard." He grumbled as Aya moved away. 

Ken's eyes had been dark and angry but suddenly they lightened as he actually looked at Omi and saw the swelling cheek. 

"O-Omi-chan..." Ken muttered. He dropped to his knees and hugged Omi's legs making Omi give a loud squawk of protest as his balance was threatened. "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry. I... I didn't mean...to... Omi..."

"It's okay..." Omi started, awkwardly patting Ken-kun's head as he tried to think of something to get the older boy to let go of his legs. "Really ke-"

"WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON?" Aya-chan exploded. "Why are you here? Why is Omi bruised?" 

"Why IS the chibi bruised?" Yoji asked, coming back up onto his feet and glancing at Omi's face. Ken made a sob like noise. 

"I lost my temper..." He moaned. Something clicked in Yoji's brain.

"You punched the chibi?" He asked his voice soft. One finger came to rest on Omi's poor cheek. Omi winced. "You punched the chibi?" Yoji asked again, incredulous. "I can't believe you punched OUR chibi... our sweet innocent chibi. Our angel... god Ken the kid is like out mascot and you PUNCHED him?" Omi gave a growl. 

"I know..." Ken sobbed.

"Why didn't you punch someone who deserves it? Like Aya...??" Yoji demanded, his hands on his hips.

Aya growled.

"I know!" Ken sobbed. He hugged the legs tighter and Omi yelped for real this time as he went down, crashing onto Ken's back. 

"You oafs!" Omi yelped. 

Aya-chan gave a startled squeak and shoved Yoji out of the way. "Bakas! What the heck are you doing!?" She grabbed Omi's shoulders and managed to drag him back to his feet and right his balance... before giving Ken a light kick in the ribs to make him let go of Omi's legs.

Ken yelped, surprised and jerked back, slamming into Yoji's legs and knocking him into Aya.

Aya promptly let him fall to the ground, making a sound something like a very disturbed cat.

Aya-chan squeaked. "My neighbours are going to kill me!"

Omi didn't seem to notice the fact that her hands were still on his shoulders, or the fact that he was being led quite pointedly towards the couch. "Mascot?" He snarled to himself. "Mascot? I'll show them mascot..." He growled to himself, his fists clenching and unclenching.

"Well," Aya-chan muttered, "You do make a cute mascot!" She announced brightly.

Omi's eyes went wide as she shoved him down on the couch, not all together gently. "You too???" He whined.

"Now what the heck is going on!? Will someone just tell me?" She demanded.

Aya folded his arms over his chest as he stepped back from the door a final time, stepping on Yoji's stomach as he crossed back into Aya-chan's small living room. Yoji gave a strangled grunt at the weight that was suddenly on his chest before he fell back breathing hard.

He snarled in Aya's general direction and started to shove himself to his feet.

"This plan of Manx's isn't working out," he said simply.

Ken gave an angry little snarl and jumped to his feet as well. "Baka fans! I hate them all!"

"Amen!" Yoji nodded, brushing himself off.

It earned him a strange look and a moment of silence before Aya-chan shook her head and turned on Omi. "You were supposed to call me if the fans got to be to much!" She announced and shoved him back to the couch as he tried to stand up.

Aya blinked.

Omi suddenly went very pale. "Aaannooo..."

Aya-chan threw her hands up in the air with a disgusted sound leaving her lips before shoving Omi back to the couch a final time and running from the room for a moment. She returned almost immediately with a first aid kit to find Ken at Omi's feet again.

"I'm so sorry," he whined. "So sorry, I didn't mean it..."

"Meh!" Omi responded, still grumbling. "Mascot..."

"Oh, shut up, Hidaka," Aya snapped, still staring through the peep hole on the door.

"Talk about paranoid." Yoji muttered

Aya glared at him. "Would you like me to send you out to locate our beloved fans?" He snarled.

Yoji gave a little eep and decide it was time to 'locate' the bathroom instead.

Aya-chan shook her head and pointed him down the hall before brushing Ken away to sit at Omi's side. "Why on earth did he punch you Omi-chan?" She demanded.

She didn't notice the sharp look Aya sent them.

Omi blinked, however, and caught it, blanching again. "Ano..." He couldn't help being distracted both by the odd look Aya was giving him and the feel of Aya-chan's hands gently testing the wound on his face. He winced again. "Because I didn't tell them there was a pole fast enough?" He suggested.

"Pole?" She inquired.

Omi glanced at her, opened his mouth, paused... then shook his head. "You really don't want to know."

Aya-chan blinked, glanced at the still sobbing Ken, and her paranoid looking brother then back at Omi. She wrinkled her nose at him and then giggled. "You're probably right."

From the doorway, Aya gave one last look through the peep hole before turning back to the room and almost giving a sigh. He glanced around once and then finally sat down at one of the hard looking kitchen table chairs.

Aya-chan had already returned to administering her first aid to the poor chibi. He kept wincing away from her and whining.

"Sit still!" She commanded before they heard a muffled curse coming from the hallway following by a little shriek.

Omi and Aya-chan blinked at each other as Aya tensed, half expecting to hear that there were fans crawling through the windows.

Yoji came darting back into the room followed by a very innocent looking red tabby kitten.

"Tenshin!" Aya-chan squeaked as the cat launched itself at Yoji's legs.

Yoji let out a yelp and gave his leg a little kick, sending the little fur ball into the still sobbing Ken's lap.

Ken let out a shriek and jumped up, dumping the poor disoriented tabby back onto the ground.

Aya-chan was immediately on her feet screaming as she began to pitch the first aid kit at Yoji's head.

Her aim turned out to be quite good.

Omi couldn't help the demonic sounding laugh that broke his lips as Yoji tumbled back to the ground holding his head.

"Don't you hit my cat, Baka!" Aya-chan continued to shriek at him, rushing to pluck the poor abused kitten from the ground and back into her arms before retreating back to the couch at Omi's side.

The little Tenshin however was too traumatized to sit her lap before he leapt back to the ground, causing Yoji to stumbled back up to his feet and back away. "That thing is evil!" He squawked.

The kitten sat down and mewed, raising innocent green eyes in a pleading way towards Aya's violet eyes. Aya only had one thing to say to those imploring eyes. 

"Woof." He said quite calmly, startling the others and making them look at him as if Aya had suddenly gone mad and was dancing around the house like a chicken. 

Yoji stood staring at him for one long minute... however, the affect had been achieved. The kitten had vanished under the couch for the moment.

"Ran!" Aya-chan whined, pouting up at her big brother.

Ran blinked at her and then looked away.

Yoji shook his head. "Oooookay..." He glanced back at Aya-chan and Omi but was suddenly distracted by the swelling bruise on Omi's left cheek.

He raised a finger and pointed at Omi. "Chibi!" He cried. "You look like a hamster!!!"

Omi blinked.

Aya-chan blinked.

"NANI!?!?!?"

Aya-chan blinked at Yoji a moment longer and then looked back at the fuming chibi beside her. She giggled and brought a hand to her lips. "Kawaii hamster!!"

Omi slapped himself on the forehead. "Naniii!!!" He whined.

Aya-chan continued to giggle, her hand on her lips as Omi shook his head in his hands.

"Hamster??" Ken whined. "I made him look like a hamster??!" He began to sob again.

"Oh shut up!!" Omi cried.

Aya-chan patted him on the head.

"That's it!" He snapped, throwing himself to his feet.

Aya-chan grabbed his hand and dragged him back on the couch, causing Omi to squeak. "You're hurt!" She cried.

"I HAVE TO GO TO THE BATHROOM!!!" He shrieked. "Are you going to follow me there to!?!?!?"

Aya-chan promptly dropped his hand as Omi's other hand slapped down over his own lips.

She blinked at him.

He blinked back, staring at her over the hand that was now firmly over his lips.

"Moving kind of fast aren't you chibi?" Yoji crowed from the floor by the wall.

There was a slight little screech of wood grating tile and they turned to find Aya on his feet, taking a threatening step towards Yoji.

Omi swallowed, his eyes still wide.

"Ran!!" Aya-chan begged, blinking, and beginning to giggle again.

Aya shot a glance at her, and then slowly stepped back, sitting back down calmly into his chair. However, the final glance he shot in Yoji's direction carried a bit of a promise as well as a bit of a threat.

"If he doesn't stop that," Yoji whined. "I'm going to beat you to the bathroom Omittchi. He's going to make me piss in my pants."

Omi blinked, his hand still firmly over his lips.

Yoji blinked as a pillow struck the side of his head.

Aya-chan folded her arms over her chest and glared at him. "You'll be cleaning it up and paying for the disinfectants... and maybe a new apartment if you do baka."

Omi retreated immediately.

Unbenounced to the rest of the insanity around the room, the small Tenshin had crawled out from under the couch. The very brave little kitten had made his way around the room.

Aya had been too busy trying to bore holes in Yoji's head with laser vision to notice the kitten until it had actually jumped up into his lap.

He quite suddenly went very stiff in his chair, his hands locked at his sides as he stared down at the fluff ball in his lap. It blinked up at him with wide green cat eyes and mewed softly before it began to purr, butting it's head into Aya's stomach.

"Aya-chan..." He complained weakly.

"Tenshin likes you!" Aya-chan giggled.

He looked up at her and Aya-chan was quite surprised to see a bit of discomfort in her brothers usually entirely blank eyes. She couldn't help the way her lips twisted in a smile as she saw the look that reminded her suddenly so much of the Ran she had known... She smiled at him and for an instant, she was almost very sure that he was going to smile back.

Yoji laughed at the stiffness that was still in Aya's spine, unable to help it at the fact that a kitten made the un-phasable Aya uncomfortable. "I think you're supposed to pet it Aya, dear," he purred.

Aya blinked and then Yoji was quite surprised to find the kitten suddenly quite literally in his face as it hissed in surprise after being tossed through the air.

It landed on Yoji's head with a yowl and immediately began to dig its sharp little nails into Yoji's scalp. He shrieked and leapt to his feet, whirling around and accidentally slammed into the wall, unable to see because of the cat that had slid down off of his head and was now covering his eyes.

"RAN!!!" Aya-chan squeaked. "You threw my CAT!!!" She pitched the remaining pillow across the room at her big brother as Yoji continued to howl and was trying to claw the cat off his face.

As he finally succeeded, the again flustered and traumatized kitten sailed through the air to land in a very startled Omi's arms.

"Ano..."

The kitten buried it's head in Omi's arms and began to shiver.

Ken continued to watch from his perch on the ground, his elbows on his knees as he watched action. "Worse than a tennis match," he mumbled from the ground, still blinking with very wide eyes as Yoji whined and clutched his face.

"OUT!" Aya-chan screamed, now that she knew that her precious feline was in the arms of Omi. "OUT OUT OUT!" She ran up to Yoji and kicked him in the shins, making him jump backwards towards the door. "AND YOU TOO RAN! OUT... OUT OF MY APARTMENT!" 

"Aya-chan..." Aya started. She snarled at him and pointed to the door. 

"OUT....YOU HURT MY CAT!" 

"Ano... what happened?" Omi asked gently as he continued to hold the frightened cat to his chest. 

"OUT!" Aya-chan screamed again. "DON'T MAKE ME REPEAT MYSELF!" Aya was being backed into a corner as his sister continued to charge at him an accusing finger stabbing him in the chest whenever he tried to open his mouth. Finally, she stopped and stood next to him... She grabbed the door handle and pulled at it. The locks that Aya had placed on it kept the door shut as she jerked it. She growled and flicked the lock open and then opened the door. "Out." She said in a calmer voice. Aya's eyes widened and then they went back to a slit, his arms crossed across his chest and he glared down at her. 

"I am not leaving you alone with two boys." 

"Nani...Ran..." She hissed out. "... I TRUST THEM MORE THAN YOU RIGHT NOW!!!" She paused for only an instant. "EXCEPT THAT ONE!" Sticking her finger in Yoji's direction. "AND FURTHERMORE... IT'S MY DAMN BUSINESS WHO STAYS IN MY APARTMENT!" Aya blinked. And blinked some more.... and more...

"Excuse me?" He asked. 

"Seems to me your kid sister has been having some wild nights." Yoji muttered bitterly as he wiped some blood off with a finger. 

"Excuuuuuuuuuuuuuuussssssssssseee me?" Aya and Aya-chan whirled around to glare at Yoji. The door slammed shut behind them from the movement. 

"Perhaps..." Omi said carefully. "We... should uh... go home. Yoji's hurt.... and uh... wouldn't want the cuts to infect his brain... since right now he doesn't seem to have one." 

"It might be an improvement." Aya-chan muttered. Omi blinked. 

"Probably... demo... peace?" The siblings glared at each other. Yoji went and hid behind Ken and Omi was left to stare at the cat. "Oy...I'm still confused..." Yoji looked up and waved the kid over. Omi came over, careful to not make the frightened kitty scared even more. "Hai...?"

"You sure you still want her kid? She'd got nasty temper... and her kick..." Yoji moaned. 

"AJO!" Aya snapped. 

"Omi get away from him." Aya-chan snapped. "He'll corrupt you!" 

"Oh believe me... he doesn't need corrupting." Yoji muttered sourly. "He's a hentai chibi, ne Omi." Omi blinked. Cheeks burning, Omi suddenly wished that he could take the words back from that one day on the bus. What had he been on anyway????

"I hate you Yoji..." Omi muttered. "Always throwing my words back in my face... meh..." Aya-chan arched an eyebrow and looked at Omi. 

"Omi a hentai?' She shook her head. "Nope...uh-huh... doesn't work." 

Yoji looked a little bit shocked and then shook his head. "He's already converted you to the dark side!!"

Aya-chan blinked and glanced confused to her brother who was still throwing darts with his gaze at Yoji.

Yoji began to mumble and turned his back on them all as Ken very pointedly crawled around to the other side of the room.

Omi let Tenshin slip from his arms and flee the room. "Where did you get a kitty, Aya-chan," He asked, hoping that the topic would be a safe one.

"Oh... I found him actually," she said off hand, shrugging before silence just settled through the room.

There was a slight lull, a pause before Aya-chan sighed. "It's too late for you guys to head back to your apartment, demo..." Aya-chan moved around the room. "I don't know where to put all of you?" She stated gently. "It's a single bedroom apartment ... I do have a couch but... it's small." Omi shrugged. 

"No matter." He started.

"Yeah... the floor will be fine." Ken added on to Omi's words. 

"Demo..." Aya-chan started but was interrupted by a bandaged Yoji.

"I'm in pain! And you're making me sleep on the floor!" He looked horrified. 

"If you hadn't been a baka... you wouldn't have been hurt!" She scowled at him, hands planted on her hips. "And anyway... you're not the only one who's hurt!"

"Nani?" Yoji asked, incredulous. He paused and then a slow smile went on his face. "Oh lover boy... hamster chibi here... hmm... right, Now I get it." He moved away, whistling a tune while Omi sighed a bit broken hearted. 

"You can't win." Omi muttered. "Never peace...argh." He turned to face Aya-chan. "I don't need the couch... it's just a bruised cheek... ahh... uh... right. I'll shut up now." He stammered as he found himself the focus of not only Aya-chan's glare but Ken's too! "Can I help you with anything?" She shook her head and pointed to the couch. 

"Go and lay down... Ken and Ran will help me get the blankets."

"Ano..."

"Sit!"

"Mou... Girls."

She glared at him for a moment. "I'm going to pretend that it's the injury that made you say that and let it go... this time." She added ominously.

"Eh!!" Omi cried helplessly and sat down immediately, shrinking under her angry gaze.

It was only a moment before Ken, Aya and Aya-chan had retrieved everything the three boys would need for the floor and Omi would need for his new perch.

It was going to be an uncomfortable night for three of them, but it was a little better than having fallen victim to the pop idol crowd who might have announced their location to all of the local fans.

They set up the blankets on the floor in three different places. (Thankfully very far from each other,) and Aya-chan made sure they had anything else they needed before she sighed. "All right... oyasumi nasai!" 

"Hai, Aya-chan," Omi responded. "Arigatou for letting us stay here."

"Hai..." Aya-chan acknowledged. "Good-night little pop idols," she said with a smile, flicking the light off in the apartment as Yoji and Ken slipped down into their makeshift beds. Her voice was soft. "Good-night Ran."

Silence slipped over the previously busy living room, as darkness cast shadows over the four boys.

After the frightening events of their evening, it was not long before Ken and Yoji had drifted off to sleep, Yoji's slightly annoying snoring softer than Omi had heard it in the past as he lay on his back, staring at the ceiling, as the events of the evening began to run through his mind slowly as they did almost every night.

It felt strange.

It had been a long time since he had tried to sleep any where but his own bed in their base... he hadn't thought it would be difficult... but he couldn't seem to close his eyes.

He lay staring up at the ceiling, hearing the unfamiliar sounds of someone else's houses and feeling the different lumps of fabric in Aya-chan's couch.

(Hamster chibi...) His mind growled softly. He wasn't sure why, but for some reason the fact that Yoji had insisted calling him that in front of everyone somehow bothered him more than the fact that Ken had actually hit him.

That didn't seem to bother him... although perhaps Ken's profuse apologies had something to do with that.

Omi sighed and turned over to his side, being forced to lay on his right side and face the wall because of the dull throbbing sensation that was still taking over the left side of his face. He didn't particularly enjoy having his back to the room, but the wound didn't give him much of a choice.

Why did it bother him so much??

Omi folded his hands under his chin and sighed, forcing himself to close his eyes and ignore the way his mind kept running over what Aya-chan had said.

  
  


~

  
  


The moon had crawled up into the sky, flashing through the window of Aya-chan's small block apartment as Aya rolled over. Silence had settled in the room completely and even Omi's breathing had finally stilled and deepened, allowing Aya to convince himself that even the youngest member of Weiss was completely asleep.

And wouldn't be awakened as Aya slowly slipped to his feet.

He wasn't sure what it was, but something about the atmosphere kept him from being able to close his eyes.

He'd lain there, staring at the ceiling.

Why had he come here?

Why of all places, had he brought them here?

He cursed himself for it now. It had been stupid. Now he looked back on what had happened in that car and he couldn't understand what had been going through his own mind. The entire night had seemed to be one mistake after the other. The concert they had given had gone well, but from the moment they had stepped off the stage...

Aya stepped up to the window, letting the moonlight wash over him as it caught on the earring that glinted as it caught in his red hair. He folded his arms across his chest, staring down to the street below, and unable to help the thought that perhaps there was still someone out there waiting at the entrance to the building, just waiting for each of them to exit...

Paranoid... Aya almost let his lips twist in the frighteningly bitter smile. He didn't. Instead his violet eyes caught sight of his own reflection in the window pane, staring back at him with dark blank eyes.

He had grown so used to hiding in the shadows, and to watching from the dark, that to be watched... to be followed...

Aya closed his eyes briefly, his own pale expression in the moonlight bothering him somehow.

It was Ran who stared back at him... and the thought always bother him. It was strange, staring into his own reflection and seeing the same boy that had grown up without trouble with his little sister and parents. He looked the same, save for the age that had crossed his features and the darkness in his eyes.

But it was still him...

Aya shook his head and cast a glance towards Aya-chan's room.

Perhaps that was what had bothered him.

She'd yelled at him... and it was so... normal. It was so completely and totally normal and for that one brief moment as he'd folded his arms across his chest and glared at her, he'd forgotten everything.

He'd forgotten what he was.

For a moment, Aya's hands twitched at his side, half expecting for his fingers to close comfortably around the hilt of his katana.

It felt strange for his hand to fall uselessly back to his side. It felt... vulnerable.

He didn't like the feeling.

Aya's gaze slipped back out onto the moonlit pavement far below.

After everything... what was he still doing this for? Why was he still here? After Taketori... he'd gone, he'd left, and he'd... but he'd come back.

And he still wasn't sure why?

Aya's fingers curled at his side, running his fingers against his thumb, as his violet eyes searched the darkness beyond.

Perhaps it was because he knew there was nothing else out there. After so long, after everything that they had done as Weiss... Aya shook his head and turned his back on the window.

What did it matter?

He was here.

And yet Aya-chan...

Still wanted him to be who he'd forgotten how to be...

That was what he told himself, that was what he had always believed. That was why could not be with her, couldn't stay with his sister... he was someone, something that he wanted to keep from, involved in a world that he had never wanted her a part in.

And tonight...

He was her brother again.

Aya stared at his three fellow members, sleeping peacefully on the floor, his gaze wandering over their shapes under the folds of the blankets, until his gaze settled on Omi under his blankets.

Omi...

Aya shook his head and looked away.

It was just Omi. Yoji's little chibi mascot, it was...

It was... he was a Taketori...

It ran in his blood.

It was in the way that he could kill without a second thought...

It was the hardness... the coldness that lived behind the innocence of those clear blue eyes...

That fakeness behind the smiles...

And that softness when he looked at Aya-chan.

His sister.

Aya saw it. Just as Yoji had. He didn't know what it was in Omi's eyes as he glanced towards Aya-chan, but there was something hidden in those deep, wide blue eyes and made Aya's eyes narrow and brought everything rushing back.

It was...

Omi... and yet...

He was a Taketori.

Aya had done what he could and what he... he tried.

He tried to forget... he tried... but...

For so long... for so god damn long it had been his hatred, it had been his passion, and it had been the only thing to keep him going and then...

The world came crashing down.

Persia... Omi... all around him and he had...

Helped them...

C--... Aya turned his gaze back out to the darkness.

No.

He hadn't cared.

He didn't care.

He had tried only to forget, because he needed to work. They were Weiss and they were a team, no matter, and yet... when he saw those big blue eyes catching his sisters gaze... everything was rushing back...

A Taketori... and Aya-chan had no idea. The same who had destroyed his family, stolen his parents and a year of his sisters life. The same... that blood, that line, and that kinship. To be with his sister for that to...

The hatred still burned.

And more than anything, Aya was sure that it was the look in Aya-chan's eyes when she turned to Omi that froze his blood.

She cared.

And she had no idea what he was.

Yet...

Ran pulled his fingers through his hair, his fingers catching on his ear as he played for a moment with the earring that he had worn for so long... His footsteps were light.

He'd forgotten how long it had been since he had stood in a doorway and stared...

Ran brushed open Aya-chan's door gently. She had not shut it tight, and once more Ran found himself standing in the doorway staring at his sleeping sister. Her peaceful form unmoving save for the small rise and fall of her chest.

In the darkness, she could have...

Aya closed his eyes.

She was alive now.

For so long she had been dead in his mind, and now she would wake and she would smile at him again. She would speak and she... she could yell.

The flutter of a smile crossed his lips before falling away once more.

And still he wanted to stand between her and the hatred that was in him.

She didn't know.

Aya cast a glance at the sleeping Omi, his frame as still as Aya's sister, safe in her own bed.

She would never need to know...

Slowly, Aya closed the door.

In the darkness of the room, he sank to the floor, his back still pressed against Aya-chan's doorway, his hands folded in his lap and his legs crossed in front of him as he tried to ignore the way his fingers still twitched, seeming to look for the hilt of his katana. He stared into the darkness, his back against his sister's door and his violet eyes cast in shadow.

The light touch that brushed his knee was not what he'd expected, but it made him look down.

The small red tabby that his sister seemed to have adopted stared up at Aya in the darkness, blinking its wide eyes as it mewed ever so softly, nudging his knee with its head.

For a long moment, Aya didn't move, but sat, staring at it.

Tenshin carefully crawled up onto Aya's knee.

It was small, barely able to haul itself up the distance between the ground and his knee. Amazingly small, and its claws were sharp as they dug through the cloth of Aya's pants into his pale skin.

He didn't really bother to notice.

Instead he continued to stare at the cat as it flopped down onto his ankles and blinked up at him again.

Slowly, Aya raised a hand.

"Don't think I mean anything by this," he whispered softly, as his fingers slowly began to stroke the top of the kittens head.

It's soft purr filled the air.

In the darkness... Omi blinked.

  
  



	14. Edelweiss

Chapter Fourteen: Edelweiss

  
  


The morning light that filtered into her room splashed over Aya-chan's face making her wake up from the dreams that darkness had offered her. She stayed still for a moment, content to just lay in the blankets' warmth. 

There was nothing planned for today...

Nothing to get up for...

She smiled gently and tried to remember what exactly she had done last night...

Her face became a light red color shading her cheeks. 

"Aiik... Onii-chan!" She muttered, remembering now that she wasn't alone in her apartment... that four guys lay sleeping in the other room... and would probably be very hungry when they woke up. She threw the covers off of her and let her feet touch the cold floor. She made a noise but kept on walking, until her hand came to the doorknob and she opened it...

And gave a shriek as a red head came flying down to smack the wooden floor near her feet. 

"Ran! You scared me!" She hissed, her heart pounding in her chest as violet eyes focused themselves on her along with green cat eyes. Tenshin had given a little miffed miaw before stretching and calmly walking off her brother's chest. Ran stayed where he was... a frown now played on his pale face as he slowly brought a hand up to tenderly touch the back of his own head. "I hope you have a huge headache!" Aya-chan continued, no sympathy reaching her voice as she now struggled not to burst out laughing at the sight of her dear onii-chan flat on his back on the floor... looking like a sprawled rug. "What are you doing out of bed?" She demanded. He said nothing. His eyes never leaving hers, even from his odd angle on the floor, until she tried to step over his body. 

"Iya..." He muttered, hand coming up to wave her back into the room. "You're in PJ's."

She blinked and then blushed. 

"Baka onii-chan!" And slammed the door on his head. He hissed and sat up in a quick motion. 

"Sisters..." He muttered icily, one hand coming up to rub his head. With the other hand he closed the door totally while he stood. He moved towards his three group members and found the couch strangely empty. 

"Ohayo Aya-kun." Omi greeted him. "Sleep well?" Aya's eyebrow snapped up. The question seemed innocent enough. Demo... "Breakfast will be ready soon." There was a little pause as Omi went back to stirring whatever he was cooking on the stove. "I don't know where the aspirin is demo..." 

"Iya." Aya stated coldly, cutting him off. Omi glanced back at him, smile fading. 

"Hai hai." He muttered. The older man took a chair at the table and immediately regretted it. It felt wrong. Omi came a few minutes later. "Coffee?" 

"Omi-chan?" Aya-chan asked, blinking as she came into the room. "You can cook?" 

"Hai." Omi muttered shortly. He turned away. "I hope you don't mind."

"... why should I?" Aya-chan asked as she blinked again. "It smells good." Aya poured himself coffee and decided to ignore his thoughts and the idle conversation that was going around him. There was a pause that filled with stretched out silence until Omi turned away from the oven, pan in hand. 

"The scrambled eggs are ready." He said quietly. She looked at him sharply. 

"How's the cheek doing?"

"Fine." She arched an eyebrow in a way that reminded him of Aya. He tried to give a smile but didn't quite make it. 

It hurt to tell the truth. 

And he didn't know where the aspirin was. 

Meh. 

He looked away as he served her instead. 

At the smell of food, Ken's eyes fluttered open. He rolled over and lay on his back before yawning and getting up. He saw that the last mass on the floor was Yoji and gently nudged the blankety monster on the floor with one foot. It grunted and moved, making Ken think of an odd caterpillar. He gave a chuckle and shook his head before turning to enter to the kitchen.

"Yoji's still alive." Ken muttered as he came in and sat down next Omi.

"Good..." Omi said gently, filling the brunette's plate.

"I can kill him later then." Aya hissed over his cup of coffee. Aya-chan shushed him, a warning in her eyes even though her smile hinted at the humor she found in the situation. 

"You really should eat something Ran-chan." Aya-chan started again, picking up the conversation where it had been interrupted by Ken's entrance. "Just having coffee is not healthy." She ignored his glare and tried to fill his plate but he grabbed it away from her and spilled the contents of food it contained in Ken's plate.

"Oy... not too much!" Ken yelped. "I need to stay fit ya know."

"Just eat." Omi gently advised. 

The doorbell rang and Aya's eyes sharpened. 

"Expecting someone?" He asked. Aya-chan shook her head. 

"I'll be right back." She pushed herself from her chair and went to go open the door. In trying to do so, she jumped over Yoji who was quite frankly in the way... he was moaning about something or another, his arms the only human resembling thing appearing out of the covers as he continued to mumble. The doorbell had stopped ringing. She opened the door and gave a little jump as she saw Manx's face. That woman...

She was nice enough...

Just sometimes... she gave Aya-chan chills.

"Manx-san?" She let the older woman come in. 

"I assumed right." The woman muttered as she glanced over Yoji's form. "Hiding from me are they... pathetic." She nudged the lump and shook her head. "Where's your brother?" Manx asked turning her attention back to Aya-chan. 

"In the kitchen." 

She followed the woman into her own kitchen and watched as the three men tensed visibly. Omi's smile suddenly came up full force... and she wondered...

"Hello!" Omi greeted. "Is something wrong?" He asked, looking at her with wide eyes. Manx stayed silent for awhile, observing each of them in turn. 

"Bombay... what happened to your cheek?" Omi opened his mouth and closed it as Ken blushed and mumbled the answer instead. 

"I punched him."

"It's really not that big of a deal, Manx-san." Omi added. The woman came towards, her heels clicking eerily in the kitchen. With her one hand she grabbed Omi's face with her thumb on one side while the rest of her fingers stayed perched on the other side of his cheek. She made him turn his head from side to side as she observed... looking for any sign of pain in his eyes. Once she let go, Omi shook himself. "I said it was fine." He muttered, ignoring Aya-chan's indignant squawk. 

Manx glared at the seventeen year old girl. "Believe me... it takes a lot more to hurt him. Never thought I'd see him with a bruise that came from Ken though..." A smile finally broke on her reddened lips. "So... why are you all here having a party... without me?" Aya made no comment while Ken stilled in his eating. 

"...? Party? We almost got killed last night by a bunch of..."

"Female fans... Ken-kun... afraid of girls are we?" Manx purred. The brunette blinked. 

"When they're a bunch of lunatics... yes I am!" 

Manx smiled.

Ken glared at her for a long moment before shaking his head and just going back to eating, muttering something very vague about all women being lunatics... that Omi was very thankful Aya-chan didn't seem to hear.

"Well," Manx began, "If you can wake that over grown worm out there, I have a message for the four of you."

Aya-chan saw all too well the way her brother's eyes turned to ice. For a moment, there was a hardness in his features that seemed to make him into someone else.

Aya-chan shivered, and Omi glanced at her, raising questioning eyebrows and offering her a sweet little smile--that never reached his eyes.

"I suppose we should head home and meet you there to pick it up," Aya said very pointedly, his eyes locks on Manx, causing her to raise an eyebrow.

"I'm not waking Yoji up!" Ken stated. shaking his fork in the air. "I don't want to deal with his anger right now." Omi shook his head as well.

"Even if I don't mind a bruised cheek... I really don't want to risk my other cheek to Yoji's wrath." Aya simply sat and didn't get up. 

Manx raised her eyes to the ceiling and gave an annoyed sounding sigh. "God, for a bunch of assassin's, you are a bunch of fraidy cats."

Ken snorted into his food, still grumbling. "You try dealing with him every morning."

Aya however, was still sending Manx a very dark look, the reference she had made hitting far too close to home in front of his sister.

It was the fact that Aya-chan didn't look the least bit phased that bothered him most.

Manx finally shook her head, not acknowledging the look that Aya was sending her and stomped out of the kitchen and back into the living room to the sleeping creature which was Yoji.

With her thumb and her forefinger she peeled part of the cover that was hiding Yoji's face up. She kneeled down next to him and poked him with her free hand. The man snorted and turned away. She yanked at the blanket and he whipped back into facing her. His eyes snapped open and looked around wildly before they focused onto her face. 

"Time to wake up Chicken legs!"

"Manx?" Yoji asked incredulous. "With me? Man... must have been some night last night." He lay back with a contented grin . 

"Ajo..." She muttered, letting one hand slap his cheek. She continued to grumble as she got to her feet. "Report to the base in twenty minutes... all of you." With that she walked out of the apartment, shutting the door behind her. 

  
  



	15. A Classical Piece

Chapter Fifteen: A Classical Piece

  
  


"Hunters of the night, new group is rising in the darkness of the streets. Kosaku Shiro, Shinichi Essai, and Yoshimatsu Hondo, known assassins have joined forces with a new master mind. Shoraku Okayo has been underground for over ten years, but has recently surfaced and been tied to strings of vicious murders through his now organized group known as Harlequin. They have been taking out request targets with a maximum body count. Killing not only their targets but also slaughtering family members and friends. With each target, the count is rising. They must be stopped. The mission is to hunt down Harlequin and rid them of Shoraku Okayo as well as his three underlings. Hunters of the night, deny these dark beasts their tomorrow's."

The screen went black.


End file.
